-hey everyone

I hope you all have had a great week so far. This past weekend up until today has been really busy, but really wonderful. So..about that mud. The 5k was truly an experience. We get to trail head where the run was beginning, only to find the firemen making the mud pit out of snow and dirt. Needless to say, that mud was freezing. We started the mud run which was mostly up the mountain, so I should probably be honest and say that I ran far from most of the 5k. We had to run the track 3 times and each time we ran through the mud pit. I decided to be a little crazy and dive through the mud the first time, which heavily decorated my legs, torso and face with mud. So, then comes the fun part when we were all finished with the race and we were standing in the freezing cold waiting to be rinsed off by the fire hoses, only to find that right as we step forward to be rinsed they run out of water. thanks guys. it was a very cold night, but extremely fun and something I would definitely do again.
I should have prefaced the paragraph before by saying that the 5k mud run was part of a huge event going on this weekend called the Teva Mountain Games. There were all sorts of events and people from all over the world competing in different trail running, kayaking, fishing, and mountain climbing categories. Something really cool about this event, besides all of the incredible athletes, was that the Bouldering World Cup was held for the first time on US soil this past weekend. It was an amazing opportunity to see all these men and women with incredible strength and talent climb these "impossible" climbing courses.
Sunday was a great time of fellowship for our team. We spent the evening hiking up to this really beautiful area during sunset. We sort of spent the time as a group talking about our vision and really praying for the valley. We also split up into groups of three, which will be called our G-3 groups. These groups are formed by team members who are working together this summer (in my group this is not true because I am the only one working at my job site) and the purpose behind these groups is to meet during the week for a time of discipleship and talking about what the Lord is doing in your life. This time is meant to invite your coworkers who are searching for truth or may be seeking out what it means to be a believer of Christ. Just talking through ideas with the two other girls in my G-3 group was so encouraging and seems to be a great source of accountability as to how I am getting to know my coworkers. As we left from this time and starting hiking down the mountain, IT BEGAN TO SNOW. It was awesome and we got a few great pictures of a wintry sunset.
And finally, the last important part of this incredibly long post. Today was my first day of work! Just to recap, I am working at a local resort at a children's day camp. Today we only had one child for half the day, but next week it will pick up a lot more. At the most we should have 20 children during the day, but today was a great intro to the job. I really enjoy the people I'm working with, each of them are so kind and really talkative. Today has really made me excited for this summer and I hope that some great relationships are made there.
Altogether, I am really encouraged about all that the Lord is doing. He is truly teaching me what it means to trust in His sovereignty and ultimate control. A lot of prayers have been answered and I truly feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be this summer. Our team is uniting in awesome ways and I know the Lord is going to challenge me in a real way this summer.
Please continue to pray that the Lord will continue preparing our hearts and the hearts of those we are coming in contact with this summer. Also, please pray that I would really learn what it means to radically love those I meet, with a love that covers a multitude of sins. Thank you all for your continued prayers.

In addition to the pictures I posted last time, here are more. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=2733508#/album.php?aid=2243516&id=2733508

In Him,
Lauren