WPA Part 4: Christmas Comes to Everyone

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

It hasn't at all felt like Christmas to me, probably due to the fact that I am away from home, family, and close friends, and to the fact that I am working so much including Christmas day. But tonight I joined in on the holiday festivities at the resort, and now it seems Christmas is finally here! :D Winter Park had their annual torchlight parade tonight and it was magnificent! Absolutely b-e-a-utiful! There were probably about 50 skiers and snowboarders that zigzagged in a line slowly down one of the slopes carrying flares in each of their hands. "NOEL" was lit up in flares in the middle of the slope, Christmas music was being played, and throughout the whole show fireworks were being set off continually from the top of the mountain. It was Beautiful! Directly after there was a non-denominational Christmas service in one of the buildings, and I got to go pass out free water to people, and wish them a Merry Christmas! Then I got to worship Jesus with them all. It was so beautifully wonderful! Tonight it hit my heart. Its Christmas time! Its the time to celebrate love! :D

I have been missing everyone so much, and I have a feeling its only going to get worse, but I've been trying to keep focused, and to see all the amazing blessings and opportunities that I have right in front of me. This is truly an awesome opportunity and experience! And the people here are amazing! and its my privilege to serve them, love them, and be here for and with them.

I turned 21 on the 12 month, 21st day, in the 12th year, also known by the Mayans as the day of apocalypse. It was a great day. I didn't work, and I didn't get drunk. :) I got presents in the mail, hung out with friends, got paid, went shopping, skyped with my mom, and talked to the mam of my dreams on the phone. Oh. And I drank a bit. Found out I'm a lil' odd. I like drinking alcohol for the taste of it, not for the side-effects. Most people, I suppose, drink it for the side-effects, and don't care about the taste. Both of my bosses bought me a drink, a friend bought me a bottle of wine, and a lady high out of her mind, bought me a shot. I love the freedom I have in the law to drink and buy alcohol, and the freedom I have in Christ to not let it influence me. Its good to be 21.

One thing, I crave to see a person 150% surrendered to Christ. I've always had someone to run with, and wow! what a blessing that is! It can be hard to be without my brothers and sisters continuously. I suppose that I will have to be that person until I find or create them. I was born to be that person and nothing else, I already know, will satisfy me. But when no one else around you is, and you are working 40+ hours a week at a job that physically wares you out, and you only get a chance two days a week to actually do what you are passionate about, its easy to forget who you are really working for. Bottom line I end up unsatisfied. I did not come to CO just to work a job, yet that feels like my life right now. As if that is all I was created for. But my heart tells me different. My heart has seen soooo much better! and it cant forget! It knows that it was created to directly love another's heart, and to be shared, and to not be hidden! I am created to live passionately for Jesus, and nothing else!

So many people's god here is alcohol and marijuana. That's their life, and that's all they can talk about. But my God is Jesus, the God of love, and that's all I want to talk about. Hes my life and loving is all this heart wants to do. But few people want to listen to my heart, and its easy to not even try, and act like everyone else: guarded, and half-way fake. As if none of us have hearts.
But as always, I know God is up to something. I'm just trusting that he will put doors in front of me when they open, and praying that I will go through them. I'm reminded that God is soo much bigger than me, and he often does things that I don't even know about.

I'm prepared to have an awesome week seeing things from Papa's perspective. :)

WPA Part 3: The Job

I started work this week. I work at the resort's food court known as Moffat Market. I'm working the pizza station, the Mexican food station, and the hotdog station. Sometimes entirely by myself. It was both the longest, and the shortest week ever. I worked everyday. They sent me home early one day because they didn't want me to go into overtime. Despite, I believe I'll still be going an hour or two into overtime. My feet hurt, its a battle to keep my body hydrated, and I live on the party floor so its a fight to get to sleep almost every night, but I still love being here. I love my job, most days. I've discovered its my passion to help people and love them that drives me to work hard, and to do my very best. It makes me come alive! Also, I have AMAZING managers and supervisors and because they value me it automatically makes me want to work my best for them. The place that I work could easily be a stressful environment. There is so many little things that make a big difference in the success of the business, and there are a lot of people working together to see that it all gets done. But even though my managers might be stressed, most of the time I cant tell. They never put the stress on you. They genuially  value you as a person, and want you to enjoy yourself and have fun. I have fun by making them smile by doing my job with excellence. Its really fun to make them smile. Today my boss said to me, " Savannah, we're lucky we found you." It makes me feel really good, knowing that I'm helping them out so much. :) Its also been really fun encouraging my coworkers; letting them know they are doing a great job and that I appreciate them and that they work with me; helping me out to help others out and bring a smile to their faces.

I'm learning a lot about working hard, and that management that is written into my DNA is coming alive. One thing I really like about working here is that the instructions you receive from your managers are really basic and undetailed. I like this because it empowers you to think for yourself, and figure it out on your own. Its teaching me how to manage myself better and make my own decisions to how I can best help the team out. I believe this is preparing me for the day when I have to manage a business one day.



The board I did in the coffee shop.

The other day I was told to "draw a picture" of the pizza table with all the pizza ingredients in it. So I took 10 mins, got my creative mind goin', and drew out all the mushrooms, and Pepporoni's, and olives,ect. It was a little bit more detail than what they needed, but I knew they'd appreciate it. 5 mins after I turned it into my supervisor, another manager approaches me asking me if I'd like to come in the next morning (my day off) to write and draw on their huge chalkboard in the coffee shop. In exchange they'd give me breakfast. I excepted. The next day I got to use my mad drawing skillz, and handwriting skills, to make the most beautiful board in Winter Park. :) Every one of my managers individually came in to look at it and was very impressed, each one saying that they'd give me something for my hard work. It ended up taking me 4.5hrs to complete the board. My boss asked me if I wanted to go over to Doc's Roadhouse (another one of his restaurants) and do their chalk boards over there. I was having so much fun, I was thrilled to say yes. So they put me on the clock for the whole day, and sent me over to Doc's saying to take as much time as I needed. I did 4 small chalk boards over there in 3.5hrs. AND two of them I was allowed to do WHATEVER I wanted as log as it had something to do with Doc's! So I got to be all creative and really impressed the manager there. She gave me a free dinner: salmon patties with lemon and capers. SO good! That ended up being a 9hr day. Now she wants me to come and do another one in exchange for another meal. I'm thinking, "am I the only creative person working here who is confident enough to go all out there, and make something amazing for our 1000's of daily guests?" 

One thing that has really stood out to me while being here is the confidence I have. Everyone here have so many insecurities. All different ages. Multiple times I'll be talking to a 26 or 27yr old and realize, "wow. This person has been in this world 6yrs longer than I have, and they still have no idea who they are or what they were made for." They have nothing to put their confidence in. But how could they? They don't know Jesus. And I know that I would never have the confidence and security that I have if I didn't know Jesus, because he is my foundation, my identity, my security, and my confidence. Without him, I would be just as insecure and selfish as they are, or most likely worse. I wouldn't be in Colorado right now, I know that much. It makes me so sad that the solution to all their problems is so simple, and I know the answer, and they are so desperate for it, yet they don't see the simple solution when its presented to them. They would never believe that Jesus is that answer unless they experience him themselves. This makes me realize how much humbling it takes a person to turn to Jesus. And oh, what a beautiful thing when that happens!

I met a Christian girl who works at the resort and lives in the same building as I do! She is amazing, and has already been a great encouragement to me. She is also my ride to church on Sunday. It has been really nice to worship God with fellow believers.

Through everything the one thing that I got to remember is that God is my team mate and I must ask him for help in everything. I can't try to do things on my own. That is when I get burned out.


As a side note: I got my board and boots in the mail yesterday. Hope to hit the slopes on Monday! :D

WPA Part 2: The Mission

Its my second day in Colorado. The shock of my brand new life here in Colorado is gone. By the grace of God, this shabby shared hotel room 3,000ft above sea-level in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded and filled with people who are living for that moment they can strap their ski's or board to their feet, already feels like home to me. A peace that paces my understanding ignites a fire of passion and excitement in me as I realize God has strategically placed me in this sphere of influence. I am filled with excitement as I realize, this is my first real missions trip!

Five o' clock comes around and everyone on my floor start congregating in the hall with beers in their hands.A giant speaker gets pulled out into the hall and soon music is blaring so that you cant escape it. Everyone is talking, and laughing, and every other word is a cuss word. People are going outside to smoke every so often. Its a party.
I stand out like a star in the heavens. I don't drink, smoke, or cuss. I know who I am, I am confident enough to not even notice peer pressure let alone resist it, and confident enough to be honest. I am one Spirit with Christ, and confident in Him and the life he has spoken into my heart.

I've faced a fare amount of challenges since being here, already. Everything from not having enough money to eat (I'm good now), to staying encouraged, to knowing how to handle drunk people. I am continually going back and forth between being incredibly excited about what God is doing and going to do this winter, to wondering what the heck I am doing here in this culture so different from what I have ever known, and so different from my home, Heaven. Yet it is so good for me to be here! I feel like I'm finally out of my box, and free to be the person I was called to be. Like a soldier going from the boot camp to the battlefield. Everything in me tells me I was made for this!

I just realized last night that I asked to be here. Five months ago I was in California asking God to take me out of my comfort zone into the super dark places so that he could shine really bright in me.  I asked him to put me in with the drunks and the prostitutes, and the people who don't know love. Places where I would have to trust him with my life, and rely on him to help me, cause Lord knows I have no clue how to help people that have been so screwed up. All I know is they need Jesus' love.
 And look at me now. He took me here.

So you see even though its challenging sometimes, I'm so happy to be here. I'd much rather be here amongst these drunkards and sinners and be a lil' unsure, uncomfortable, and sometimes fighting to be myself, than in California or Montana, comfortable, among family, bored, and continually having to remind myself why I'm alive. Here I am continually reminded why I'm alive, because this is why I'm alive. To pull people out of the hell we were all in once, by the life of Christ that is in me. I was made for this, and God has diffidently given me a grace to be here amongst these people.

That being said I would appreciate all the prayers, advice, and encouragement you could give.
I need family here. I know they're out there, so pray that I meet them soon.

To my family all around the world(you know who you are) I love and miss you very much!

Winter Park Adventure(WPA) Part 1: The Lowdown

The new adventure has begun! This will be my 6th day here in Winter Park, CO, and it has most certainly proved to be an adventure! When I was waiting for the shuttle at Denver Airport to take me to Winter Park, there was a girl there also waiting. So I said "hi" and found out that she also is going to Winter Park to work for the winter. So we kept talking, and it turns out shes staying at the same place that I'm staying. When we got to the Lodge (where we were staying) we found out we were in the same room! Over the next couple days we found out that we are working in the same place in the park. Her name is Eve and she is amazing. Truly I believe that she is the best room mate that I could have gotten. She doesn't drink too much, she hates smoking, shes got a level head, and she's a lot of fun to be around.

I'm staying in the employee housing wing of the Winter Park Mountain Lodge, which is a hotel. The rooms are decent, even though we don't have a kitchen, only a microwave, and mini fridge. We have a good sized bathroom, with a shower, and, since yesterday, hot water. I assure you, a cold shower at 3,000ft above sea level in the Rocky Mountains, is a high price to pay to be clean. Many people on my floor didn't take a shower for 4 or 5 days. >_< Our rent will be a lil' less this month.

Also being at a 3,000ft elevation the air is extremely thin and dry. It can be hard to get to sleep at night because the air is so dry it hurts to breath. Many mornings I've woken up with blood in my nose.Walking 20yrds on flat ground leaves you huffing and puffing, and worked up to a sweat. They say that 7out of 10 people get elevation sickness, which looks like diarrhea, stomach aches, and throwing up. Thankfully no one on my floor has go it.

I had my first general orientation on Tuesday, and my 2end orientation for Moffat Market tomorrow, and that's when I learn all the details of my schedule and my specific job. The Moffat Market is a food court, so I'll either be a cashier or doing food-prep. Eve and I went to check it out, and it looks like its going to be a really fun place to work.

I also got applied for a second job working the evening shift as a server at the restaurant inside the lodge I'm staying at. I've been told to go see the manager this weekend and she'll tell me my hours...people tell me that means..I'm HIRED! lol So that will be really fun. I'll be starting the beginning of next week.

One of the main questions I've been getting: Is there a lot of snow? There are only patches of snow right now, and its been t-shirt weather the past couple of days. This is not a good thing seeing as the park is suppose to open on Wednesday. However, there is hope. We are expecting a blizzard this weekend, and Jesus is Lord. :)
Everyone here is extremely friendly. Many people know me as being very friendly, but the people here have caught me off guard by how friendly they are, and in truth at first it made me feel uncomfortable. lol But I have let this place take me outside of my box and teach me how to be just as friendly. Winter Park Resort is known for being Colorado's Favorite, and Friendliest. A couple years ago they were in competition with other ski resorts in CO to see who could be the friendliest according to the guests, and 4 out of 4 times this resort won. :)

While there is no snow, literally the only things for people to do is hike, skateboard,and drink. Winter Park is a tiny town with a liquor store or a pub literally on every corner. Like Sonics in Oklahoma or Starbucks in California or a Ponderosa in Montana. So it seems like everyone here are alcoholics or at least love to party. I stick out like a star in the heavens. :) To the glory of God.

With our work still not begun most people have been quite bored. Eve, struggling between her shyness and her boredom, put this sign on our door:

click to enlarge

 

Lol. She cracks me up.

Some Simplicity from a Detailed Loving God

To the people around the world who love and care about me: I have 9 more days in MT. Thats a week and two days. :) I can hardly wait for the adventures that await me on the other side. I will be thoroughly enjoying a long awaited visit to California, lasting 1.5weeks (*big happy sigh*) before I head to Colorado to hibernate for the winter at Winter Park Ski Resort. I'll be working in the food&beverage department there until April. :D I have no idea what my big ol' Papa has for me there, but I know It'll be rediculously good. Already he has worked out what I had thought was impossible or hard in order get me there.  



This picture was taken yesterday@Winter Park Ski Resort, CO. 

Three months ago when I had been asking Papa what I'd do after my time in Montana was up (He had told me I'd only be there 4mnths), I was talking to my friend, Katie, about it and she said, "Savannah, you should just move to Colorado." I had joked about moving to CO before because the Silicon Valley is a rediculous place for a career-less person to live because the cost of living is so high. So when Katie said that I should move to CO I laughed, knowing that she wasnt serious, but in that moment I also heard that fimiliar voice say, "Seriously, Savannah. What if you did move to Colorado?" So answering him I said, "Well, I have no money, and no job, so even if I did manage to somehow get there, I would have no way to pay for an apartment. I have only about 2more months in MT, and I dont know who would want to hire me for only two months. I dont know anyone in Colorado that I could room with. I dont have a car that I could take there to get to a job if I were able to aquire one in CO. I have no idea how me moving to Colorado would be possible right now, but from the pictures I've seen I bet Colorado would be a nice place to live." However, dispite all this, I felt peace about moving there, and Papa, said "Go for it! You focus on the big things, I'll work out the details." So I took a big breath and said, "Ok, Papa, if you want me to move to Colorado in 2 months I trust you to make it happen. I'll persue it until it happens." So thats where it started.

           A week later I was hired at The Wilderness Club as a housekeeper. They only needed someone for 2 months. A little bit after that I ran into an aquaintance, who had no idea I wanted to go to CO, tell me about her daughter who worked at a National Park all summer and they payed for her room and board, and that I should look for an opportunity like that. I not only took her advise because of the free room and board, but also because a couple weeks earlier Katie, my family, and I went to Glacier National Park, met a worker there off-duty, who told us all about working there, and we talked about how much fun it would be to work in a place like that. This is not anything I've seriously considered before, and so I knew that it popping up twice like that out of nowhere probably was not a coincidence. I googled job opportunities at National Parks in Colorado, and found out that they all are only open during the summer, but that ski resorts are looking for employees for the winter season. I jumped on it and applied to 5 different positions. 4 of those were at a resort in Steamboat Springs, CO, and 1 was at Winter Park, CO. Who would have thought that the only one who was interested was the one in Winter Park? It was the easiest job I ever got. They don't give free housing, but they provide it for cheep, and provide free transportation. I'll be working in the park's food court, doing food prep, and casheir. My supervisor told me that basically all I have to do is smile all the time, act like everyone is my best friend, love on them, and serve them with excelence. So excited I get paid to be me.
         A couple things I was concerned about, however, was the fact that I didnt have any brothers or sisters in Christ there. At least not that I knew of. But I knew that is something God could easily bring me, and prayed for that. I also felt sad that I would not be able to come home for Christmas, and was worried I would have no family to spend Christmas with. When my family and I went to Oklahoma, for my neice's birth, however, I made some beautiful discoveries. Friends of my sister who are real Christians who know love, and the full gospel of Jesus Christ, go to Winter Park frequently in the winter, and their 2 children whome I've met and love, are going to a ministry school about 45mins from the park, and a branch of that ministry is 3miles from the park. Not only that but its a ministry about loving people, one-on-one descipleship, empowering people with who they are and what Christ has given them, and having the Holy Spirit teach people Himself. I hope that I will be able to conect with the people there and possibly volenteer there. Not only that, but the 2 children who are near my age, will be going to Winter Park to go skiing frequently with the school they are in. Not only that, but I found out that the whole family will be spending Christmas at Winter Park, and they invited me to spend Christmas with them! :D Isnt that amazing! Papa is so good. He makes things so simple for us. All we have to do is focus on our dreams; focus on the big stuff, and Papa will work out the details perfectly. :)

While being here in Montana I've gotten the opportunity to let my heart heal from a lot of crap, and get the relationship with God back that I once had. Its been super healthy, and now the Spirit inside me is itching to love on every person I see again. So stoked I get to go out into this world, and be Jesus to people! LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN! :D 

Where Did All Your Posts Go??

If anyone was wondering where all my posts from the past year and a half went....I deleated them. lol At the time I thought I was simply deleating drafts, but I later foundout that I had deleated nearly all my posts. :'( So I apoligize, and if anyone knows how I could get them back, that would be amazing. :)