CRU

It's been a while since I've updated...so here is the run down of happenings since then.

1. We spent an intense last week of New Staff Training learning how to raise up a team of ministry partners.
2. We saw the very last Harry Potter with the Burgers - some great new friends from California! I cried.
3. We were officially commissioned as Campus Crusade for Christ Staff.
4. We went to Boulder with more new friends from California - the St. Pier's!
5. I got my hair cut.
6. Our New Staff Training is over and the National Staff Conference has begun.
7. We kicked off the conference with a County Fair!
8. Our cafeteria is now crowded.
9. My favorite in-laws are here for the conference and we've been able to spend some good time with them - and of course they brought us gifts from Italia!
10. Campus Crusade for Christ announced their official name change which will take place in early 2012. We will be named CRU, and I love it :)

There has been lots of talk about this whole name change business, and rightly so! Hearing that the well established, 60 yr. old ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is changing their name is definitely a shock, but it's been a work in progress. I'd encourage you to read my friend Jess's blog about this. It has lots of information on  the name change, the reasoning behind it, and lots of links to more information about it! CLICK HERE to read it!

And of course, I'll leave you with some pics :)

The end of an era :(

We did it - officially staff!

All of our new staff friends from our floor + some :)

Us with Matt and Leah St. Pier! Love them.

Until next time,

Kim

Colorado

I love Colorado! It is so beautiful and I am happy to be out here every other summer for as long as we're on staff with CCC. Yesterday my parents came in town. I LOVE that they plan their vacation in places where they can visit me! (they did this a few summers ago in Santa Cruz as well). Today we went up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. BEAUTIFUL! I have been there before with my family on a camping trip (yes we used to camp, no I can't really picture our family doing that anymore) but it was in 1997 so I vaguely remembered it. Here are some of my favorites from our trip today:

Bear Lake

Best part of the trip: accidentally finding the RV park we stayed in in '97!! We missed you Jen!

In other news, I finally caved and got on Twitter. You can follow me if you wish @ka_marcos. There is a lot of pressure in the Twitter world...so I don't know how good I'll be at this. Brett is teaching me well though. I've literally asked a Twitter related questions every 2 hours or so since I've had it :).

Until next time,
Kim

we're moving to....

BATON ROUGE!!! It's official, we have been placed at at Louisiana State University! We are VERY excited about this transition, even though it hasn't really hit us yet. It's crazy to think I won't be living in Texas anymore, but I am SO happy that we will only be 4 hours away from our families (in Houston). We've got a lot to learn about Louisiana culture...but it will be a fun adventure. Of course there are natural nerves that come with transition....will we make good friends? will we find a good church? will we get lost every 5 minutes? will we have community? will Brett's stomach handle Cajun food?! You know...the normal fears :). But in reality, we are looking forward to the move and we would be crazy if we weren't nervous!

I know it's been a while, and I predicted that for you in the last post, but we are officially done with our seminary classes!! Well, we still have our final exam for our Theology class on Tuesday, but other than that we are done! It has been an exhausting, draining, fun, learning, crazy 2 weeks...but overall I can say I've enjoyed these classes and have learned a lot. We still have about a month left here in CO. The rest of our time will be learning how to raise our financial support and then a staff conference (where all the staff from the US come!). It feels like time has FLOWN by. My parents are coming in town this next weekend and I think we will make a trip to Estes Park with them, which I am REALLY excited about. I have a vague memory of us going there when I was younger and not being appropriately dressed for the freezing cold and snow at the top of the mountain. This time we'll be better prepared!

 I'll leave you with some pictures...

Our view from an afternoon in City Park!

At Horsetooth Reservoir

Another one of the Reservoir

Our awesome candy sign that the LSU staff team made us to welcome us to the team!

Until next time,
Kim

1st Day of Class

Well I figure I'll update now and go ahead and tell you I do not know that I will ever update again in the next 2 weeks! HAH! Today was the first day of our two seminary classes we are taking. I think I will overall enjoy the classes, but here is a glimpse into my day:

• Class 8-12:30
• Lunch 12:45-1:30
• Study/read/do class work 2-6
• Dinner 6-6:45
• Study/read/do class work 7-10:30 

Those of you who know me well may be wondering if I am exaggerating at all...and aside from a few breaks here and there, I truly am not. I hear the first few days are the hardest, and what can I say?! I have not studied in 2 1/2 years and even then, I don't think I ever did this much work in 1 day! Needless to say, I am exhausted. I still love Jesus...but it was hard to connect with the Lord on a heart level today. I was reminded in 2 simple ways though that God is good and his grace is sufficient.

1. I looked up from my studying and saw the most amazingly beautiful Colorado sky...God is good and kind to give us creation that we can enjoy!
2. Amidst all the reading, I realized on a heart level that the Gospel frees me from having my self worth depend on my own success. Love this.

Until next time (which will probably be a while),

Kim

the dorm

We are loving dorm life! It is definitely funny to be in the dorm again. All of the people on our hall are married couples as well, and no one has been married longer than 2 years...so we are all technically considered newlyweds (I think).  We've already discussed how it could be really easy to never have intentional good time with just Brett and I since there are always people around and always things we can be doing...but this morning we spent some time together exploring Fort Collins and it was really good. The first week of New Staff Training (NST) is technically over. It was exhausting, overwhelming, fun, and exciting all mixed in to one. We have the weekend free and then we will start our 2 seminary classes on Monday. We'll take classes for 2 weeks Mon-Fri. 8-12 and then have the rest of the day to study/do whatever. I'm looking forward to a more set schedule (since I'm a planner and all).

I figured out how to upload the video, so here is our dorm tour!

Until next time,

Kim

We're finally here!

Well we are finally here in Fort Collins, CO for our New Staff Training. We have been anticipating this day loner than we anticipated getting married! Well maybe not longer than I anticipated getting married, but definitely longer than we were engaged! Here is a quick recap of our trip here...

Below is the fire in Raton, NM that caused us to have to backtrack 30 miles and go on a 2 hour detour. It was a rough trip to say the least...but we made it!

 

 

It was definitely worth the pain though because we finally arrived at this castle in Colorado Springs and had a wonderful evening eating at a little local Italian restaurant, eating delicious ice cream, and walking through the Garden of the Gods!

The Castle

Brett and I at Garden of the Gods

We were so exhausted from our travels that we went to bed at 9:30!! I mean it was 10:30 Texas time, but still. I don't remember the last time I've gone to bed that early. The early bedtime led to a 6:45 rise and shine time (I don't remember EVER getting up that early without an alarm), but it was so fun to walk around the conference center (Glen Eyrie) and then eat breakfast. We hit the road to meet up with Kelli and Teddy in Denver. I love love love to drive in Colorado. Actually, I love for Brett to drive so I can see the beautiful mountains! We ate lunch with Kelli and Teddy and then hit the road to Fort Collins!

We arrived here around 2pm, got checked into the dorm, met new people, went through registration, met new people, went to dinner, met more new people, and then went to a welcome meeting and reception. Our dorm is right next to Teddy and Kelli (yay!) and some other good friends of ours (Harris and Kristin). There are approximately 200 people joining staff this summer (hence the meeting new people 3 different times). We are excited that this next chapter in our lives is finally beginning! We will find out our official placement on June 26th!!

I tried to upload a video that Brett took of the dorm room, but I can't seem to figure it out...so here are some pictures of our living quarters :)

Our business casual clothes all set out ;)

Until next time,

Kim

yesterday

This is how I spent my day yesterday...

This was the moving team that helped Teddy and Kelli pack up

These are my best friends (yes my shirt says 'I survived Lubbock WINDS' and yes Lubbock winds deserve a shirt for surviving!)

And this is the storage unit...literally packed from floor to ceiling.

And this is what we reverted to after eating a good lunch to give us more energy

Brett

Teddy

We were playing the water bottle game. Basically it goes like this: you have to stand on one foot and try to pick up a water bottle with your mouth without putting your hands on the floor. Some might say it's impossible...but Cotter, Lori, and myself are LIVING PROOF that it is indeed possible.

Kelli and Teddy are all packed up and leaving for Colorado in the morning. We are SO excited that we will be going on this adventure of joining staff with some of our best friends.

We're getting rid of our internet soon, so I may not update until we get to CO.

Until next time,

Kim