A much needed update . . .

As many of you may or may not have heard, my summer plans have changed quite a lot. Many of you know that I had been selected for Cascade's singing group, Witness. Traveling and doing that was the plan for five weeks. After, oh - about a week, we hit some turbulence and some things had to change and to make a long complicated story far too short - it was decided that we were going to end tour. (I'll write the long version when I can articulate it better and have more time). Sometimes I think we shoudln't have called it off, but more of me sees that God had a better plan for my summer.

I should let you know that Witness was something I had put on the back burners earlier in the school year and I was thinking about doing what I am doing now - PUMP internship [more about this later]. But I had a chance to get on the Witness bandwagon and so I did, which meant I would not be able to do the PUMP internship because the two overlapped.

Well, as it turned out, as we were ending our tour, the day we would be getting back to Portland was the day before the PUMP internship began. God's timing or what? I think so. The last few days of tour were spent making phone calls and finding out if this could be something I would still have the opportunity to do. I soon found out that it was a go!

I was very confused with what God was telling me through all this but I think I figured it out [for the most part]. Witness was something I wanted to be a part of for a long while now and it had appeared that my chances of that were gone. I had tried out three times and struck out each time. So that was the end of that - I had come to terms with it. I then had my eyes set out on this PUMP internship. Then what do you know, a place in Wintess opened up and I had the chance to be in it. It took a bit of persuading but I chose that over PUMP because I knew, if anything, I could do PUMP next summer. However, as you can see, God had other plans. I think I was in Witness the short amount of time that I was to show me that this could be something I would want to do and just shouldn't give up with (in regaurds to trying out in future years) but this was not THE year. Things would not have been the best, or even close to the best, that they could have been had we stayed on tour. God did, however, end the whole Witness hoorah just in time for be to still be able to do the internship. Fate? I think not. I have complete faith that He had a plan and it is still being revealed to me. I love it.

So... now to bring you up to date...

This is about the third week of PSP (Pump Summer Program) and the fourth of being an intern. It's crazy and hectic but oh so fun at the same time. The intern and coordinators get along so well and we all are here for a reason that is for sure. If you're not sure what PUMP is I encourage you to check out their website http://pumpchurch.org/. Basically, PUMP is a mission church, ministering to the children and families of Northeast Portland, Or. Along with serving in the church family, I am working with the summer program (PSP), which is a 6-week program for community children. It focuses on strenthening children's minds, as well as their spiritual life with a daily reading program and Bible-based mentoring and education.

In order to minister at PUMP this summer, I was encouraged to rasie $3000 dollars. These funds are to basically replace the money I would be making if I had a summer job. The intership does give a stipend but not really enough for me to save any for this upcoming school year. Seeing as I didn't really have time to fund raise, this is why you are hearing about it so late.

If you could help me out on this endeavor, it would be much appreciated.
You can make all tax-deductible checks to PUMP Church of Christ and mail them to:

PUMP Church of Christ
C/O Heather Bird Internship
PO Box 15510
Portland, OR 97211

Your prayers would also me much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope God is blessing your hot summer days! :)