a look into the past...

Scott Meier, McFarlin Youth Director of High School Ministries, has recently been scanning and finding old gems from past mission trips. And by gems, I really mean very awkward pictures that you often like to question things like...a) what was I wearing? b) did I think I looked good in that outfit? c) what are we DOING?! You get the idea. So without further ado, here are a few "goodies," some of which date back to 2002.

My first inner-city mission trip with Center for Student Missions (CSM): Los Angeles, California, summer of 2002. We worked in a housing project leading a Vacation Bible School in addition to working at soup kitchens, visiting nursing homes, feeding the homeless in parks, etc. One thought with this picture: Why did I think it was okay to put my hair back in TWO half ponytails? Enough said.

Chicago 3-week Internship with CSM--summer of 2003. This was my first time to be away from home for 3 weeks...and that was back in the day when cell phones were not a commodity. We lived in a brownstone for the 3 weeks while we served throughout the city. Our mission work included: working at a kids day camp for 2 of the weeks while we were there (the little girl in the picture was from the day camp), helping pass out flyers for new churches, eating at EVERY DIFFERENT KIND of ethnic restaurant you can imagine, serving at food kitchens and homeless shelters, and many other things. Those 3 weeks began to mold my life into who I am now and what I want to be doing.

Summer of 2004: EASTERN EUROPE! 2 weeks with your best friends in some of the most amazing cities: Prague, Budapest (as seen above), Krakow, Auschwitz, and most importantly: Kiev, Ukraine. Every four years, the McFarlin Chapel Choir takes an international trip so that every high schooler has the opportunity to travel abroad. This wonderful tradition has been going on for many years and is something that should never stop. Anybody that knows me now, knows that I don't travel light. But I would like it noted that Rosemary Sebestyen and myself traveled to Eastern Europe for two weeks with bags that could have been checked as carry ons. How is that possible? Any one of my friends would tell you that I wore the same pair of black, spandex jazz pants for approximately a week. I'm wearing them in the picture above, if only they were visible. I will have to do some digging to find a good picture of these pants. Everyone will be happy to know that I have retired them to my box of clothes that I cannot get rid of but no longer wear. You're welcome. I had to post one of my absolute, all-time, favorite pictures below. Taken in Prague, on what I remember as the last night of the trip. We got dressed up for dinner and had wonderful food. I believe this picture was taken outside of the restaurant (or maybe in our hotel?).

from l to r: Rosemary, Amy, Karen, Lydia, Anna

Spring Break 2005: Mexico! This was my senior year of high school. The green beads are because it was St. Patty's Day...unfortunately, I don't have an excuse for the sunglasses. My thoughts on this picture: Who in the world let me wear those sunglasses? I vividly remember having many sunglasses shaped like that and they must have all looked HORRIBLE. Moving on...

New York City, 2006: Working with CSM around all 5 burrows of NYC. Nora and I are pictured here the night we all went to go see the Producers on Broadway (not the most church appropriate, but it was great!). Let me preface by saying NYC in the summer is INCREDIBLY humid. Hence the shiny faces. My other comment: cool chandelier earrings, Lydia. I think they were blue...

Summer of 2007: Charleston, South Carolina. High school summer mission trip to do hurricane relief work with a Methodist organization. My group (the seagulls!) got to raise the floor of a bathroom 16" to make it wheelchair accessible for a family. We also built them a ramp and repaired their roof. We were not prepared for the humidity that Charleston has, so after a quick run to Target and a few tank tops later, we were set. Apparently I thought dressing like a watermelon was a great idea. One of the best parts of the trip: Kendall (shown above) and I ripping out a plywood closet. Crowbars up! Ching! (Home Alone quote)

Summer of 2008: Camden, New Jersey. My first summer to work with Urban Promise, a wonderful organization that gives inner city kids a safe place to go during the summer and during the year after school. We spent a day in NYC shopping, and Jeremy (my brother, shown above) actually got to come shopping with us. Good thing he shaved his little beard thing off his chin. My hair is what has me thinking in this picture...apparently a little windblown?

Albuquerque, New Mexico: Summer of 2009. The middle school mission trip to New Mexico was a close-knit group of strangers who formed so many inside jokes and different bonding memories that it's hard to describe. We painted a few rooms at a church in a small, hispanic neighborhood, and also helped lead the Vacation Bible School for kids in the area. Again, my thought with this pic: the hair? I don't think I had mastered the poof yet.

Summer of 2010: Montana, baby! Apparently, I was really excited to be chipping away at the old paint off of the building. If you need to read more about the trip to Montana, check the past 3 posts.

Whoops...found the Eastern Europe pictures after all. Here is your PROOF that I:

a) can pack light if necessary

b) truly did wear black spandex pants

and c) had not been introduced to what a straightener was

Hope you enjoyed this post :) feel free to rag on any and all of the pictures above.