ESOAL... or lack thereof...

Once a year, the Honor Academy Interns take part in a life transforming event called ESOAL.

ESOAL stands for:

Emotionally

Stretching

Opportunity of

A

Lifetime.

This year, I had my own ESOAL...

About a month before the event, my daddy called me and asked if I would be able to go home for a week.

The dates were September 14th to the 20th.

ESOAL began on September 15th and ended on the 19th.

When my dad presented me with an opportunity to go home over the exact week that ESOAL was taking place, I had a lot of thinking to do.

Over the next few hours, I met with three of my mentors to talk about what I would be missing if I went home and what I would be missing if I stayed.

That day, to say the least, was very hard for me.

Teen Mania is where I am meant to be, I love my friends here, I love the work I am doing here, and I wanted so badly to be a part of an event that would strengthen my relationships with the people in my core (a core is a structured group of 8-12 same gendered people that live with you) as well as the other very good friends I have at this ministry. I knew that ESOAL was a pivotal point in many intern's Honor Academy experience and missing out means missing a huge opportunity to grow and learn and be changed for the betterment of Jesus's kingdom!!! As well my own spiritual and emotional preparation to handle emotionally stretching times in the future.

Although, not going home for that week meant missing out on a whole week of spending time with my family and friends that I have lived so far away from for so long. As well as some pretty exciting events. It was my sister's birthday, and a very good friend's wedding, as well as a Mercy Me concert and a chance to speak at youth group. Not to mention being able to surprise my whole family, my church and supporters, and all of my friends.

As that day went on, it became pretty obvious that I was going to be missing ESOAL and going home.

My biggest thing was that I did not want to let this be an opportunity for me to run away from the inevitable hardships that I would have faced during ESOAL. I did not want to use going home as an excuse to get out of the emotionally stretching opportunity of a lifetime. I wasn't scared yet, but I was growing nervous... so as I talked to each of my mentors, I kept my mind and heart open so that I could still go either way.

Over each conversation, going home became the favored option. It did seem logical. My family should be more important to me at times. It was a very rare (because of the money) and a huge opportunity to go home. I missed my nephew, Jackson, and I wasn't able to watch him grow up at all, so seeing him during the different stages of his life is really important to me.

So I called my dad, still unsure of what to do, and I told him why I was hesitant to go home. He always has very sound advice and helps me make the best decision.

This time, he didn't explain himself at all! All he said was "come home."

I could tell he had other reasons for me to come home, but I guessed that he was going to surprise me with them.

Well, I did end up going home. And my dad did have a couple of surprises for me.

But not until after I had surprised my mom, grandma, and sister. :)

My mom thought my dad was going to surprise her with a dog, it turned out to be me. Good thing too, she really didn't want a dog.

My grandma couldn't believe it, she grabbed my face and said "is this real?"

My sister, thanks to our family and her boyfriend's family, thought that I was a deserted wife sitting in the booth at olive garden whose husband just cussed out and left there, alone. She came over to invite me to eat with her and the family for her birthday, when I dropped the menu from my face, she started to cry and called me a jerk. haha. :)

And now, my surprises:

The first being that my family is planning to move to Arizona in the beginning of 2011.

This has completely changed my future and I plan to eventually move to Arizona with them, reuniting me with my family.

The other, my sister getting engaged. :D

I was able to watch Braydee Johnson propose to my sister and was there to hug and cry with her. She asked me to be the maid of honor.. I said "duh" after I cried a bit harder.

I spent the rest of my time at home hanging out with almost every single one of my old high school friends. I had so much fun with each of them and it was a great time to catch up and hopefully be an example to them as to what a real Christian looks like.

To say the least, going home was totally worth it