Civil engineering lessons, wicked hikes, and the like

I love working at eMi! The office is a really fun place to be. We start everyday in prayer which has been so excellent. Not only does it get me connecting with the Lord before I do much else for the day (which I'm hoping will also become a disciplined habit of mine), it is also a really unique experience to pray with all my co-workers, from CEO to intern. We had intern training session scattered throughout the week, including a couple days of AutoCAD exercises and water/waste water system designs. We even have a "group project" on designing water source and septic systems in a developing country, with a presentation this Friday and everything! Working closely with the engineers is another great aspect of this internship that I'm grateful to get to experience.

Friday was a pretty notable day. Every Friday the interns take shifts serving lunch at the nearby soup kitchen, The Marian House. I absolutely loved this experience--it's one of my favorite ways to serve. God has used my past experiences (serving meals at Our Savior's shelter in Minneapolis) and family situations to grow my heart for serving people less fortunate, economically, than me. We got to eat lunch and get to know some people, and I like the fact that we get to go back every week to continue to build relationships with people.
After lunch, a fellow intern, Chris, and I went to Walgreens to get our immunizations. We had called ahead so it would go a little quicker, but turns out that doesn't mean much. We spent a good 3 hours waiting and finally getting our doses of Yellow Fever, Hep A, Typhoid and Polio shot into us! Haha, we probably know every isle of Walgreens by heart, now, if you're every wondering where anything is (since all Walgreens are laid out the same. We know this because we had to go to two different stores to get all of our shots).
Due to our three-hour "lunch break", we stayed late at the office. This was fun because we ended up skyping our friends and fellow interns in the UK office! And, of course, getting work done.. ;)
Friday night the entire office went out to the Colorado Sky Sox baseball game. This was so fun! We got to all hang out casually and meet a bunch of our co-workers' families. I've decided if one works for eMi, they are also blessed with adorable kids. hahaha. The Sky Sox got beat pretty badly, but there was a sweet fireworks show afterwards! So, all in all, Friday was an eventful but really cool day.

Photo-op on the way up to the Reservoir!

Saturday was also packed. We helped Danna, eMi's intern coordinator, move in the morning. Then we hiked to Stanley Reservoir, in attempt to find somewhere to swim! I've discovered that lakes are hard to come by in Colorado, which was a little hard to wrap my head around coming from Minnesota where there are like 10 beaches in a 10 mile vicinity. So, we chose Stanley Reservoir purely because it was a hike with a lake at the end of it. When we told the staff we were going there, their reaction was, "that's a little intense!". And we found that it indeed was a pretty intense hike. Lots of steep uphills, but very beautiful! The swim at the end was a bit chilly---a little too chilly for the southerners---but totally worth it! The hike and swim took all afternoon, so afterwards we decided to get some food and have a relaxing movie night at one of the intern houses. It's been fun doing everything as a group this past week and weekend because this week the first project trip leaves, and from there on out there will always be at least one intern out of the country until November. So this has been good bonding as a group, and pretty fun, too!

Stanley Reservoir

This morning we went to a great church called Calvary Worship Center. A very alive, authentic, and diverse congregation! I would describe it as a southern-baptist-meets-northern-evangelical-free fusion. Pretty sweet.

The rest of today I'm spending catching up with family and friends, and updating this and pictures! I'm also working on my monthly update.

As for financial support, God has been so faithful in supporting me financially through so many of you! Thank you, again, for that. This week I only got a recent estimate of my project trip costs, but it seems to be higher than anticipated, so I'm still raising support to cover living expenses after I return. I will update more about that when I have more precise numbers. But I'm comforted by Jesus' words in Matthew 6:25-34:

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 

Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

(30)And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows your needs. 

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Orientation: Done. Let the work begin!

Whew! What a whirlwind of a week!

Pike's Peak, view from The Hideaway (our retreat center)

I just got back to my apartment after a busy but excellent week at orientation. For the last seven days, 28 interns and a few new eMi staff have been spending all of our time at a retreat center about 30 minutes north of Colorado Springs. The week had multiple elements: eMi vision casting and internship logistics, team building/outdoor activities, personality/strengths tests, culture training, and of course, spending time and getting to know one another--architects and engineers embarking on the same adventure around the world! In my strengths and personality tests I discovered (but pretty much already knew) that I am quite the extrovert, so I thrived in the midst of meeting and making new friends that have the same heart for using design and engineering to do good in the world and help those in need. Everyone got along great and I think everyone was a little sad to be leaving each other today. But at the same time, it was so exciting to see everyone off today as they go to where God has sent them for the next four months, be it India, Uganda, the UK or Costa Rica! (the two Canada interns will be here in Colorado with us for a couple more weeks)

eMi Fall 2010 interns and new staff

Tomorrow is our first official day in the office. I think this next week will bring further training-- some in the office and some out-- like perc testing and AutoCAD. I also just received and email today regarding my project trip! So tomorrow I will hopefully be skyping with the team there to get more information about what I will be working on here in the Springs before the trip. I'll let you know about it when I find out more!



Prayer requests:

-Please pray for safe travels for my friends as they head to their offices:
Uganda office: Daniel, Dan & Jonathan
India office: Nate, Katie, Mark & Cara
Costa Rica office: Bethany, Alfonso, David & Erika
UK office: Valerie, Ginnie & Deb

-A few of the project trips heading out of the Colorado office are still looking for volunteer engineers and architects to join them! Please pray that the Lord would bring these teams the people and skills they need to be as effective as possible on their project trip!

-My project is still searching for an architect or two, a civil, structural, and electrical engineer, and a surveyor. We still have a month or so for these laborers to join the team, but please pray that God will also bring the right people for this project to the team in Cairo.

-Please pray for my adjustment to life here in the Springs, and that I will continue to seek God to find comfort in times of loneliness or homesickness. This last week's constant socializing distracted me from the realization that I won't be going back to Minnesota for four months. As much as I know I will love being here, today I've felt that little pang of homesickness that is inevitable when moving away (for awhile) for the first time.


Thank you for all of your prayers!

Check out my facebook or flickr for more pictures of this week!

The Springs

I made it to Colorado Springs!

Laramie, Wyoming

Aaron and I arrived in “the Springs” on Friday afternoon after spending Thursday night and Friday morning with my friend Dave in Boulder. We also got to get lunch with Aaron’s friend, Calla, in Laramie, WY, on Thursday on our way to Colorado. It was really great to have the flexibility to stop and see friends on our way down. It broke up the drive time and made the trip more eventful. By the time Friday rolled around, though, I think both of us were ready to be settled in Colorado Springs!

I’m happy to report that we only had one convertible-top-down-on-the-highway casualty: the maps flew out of my hands about half an hour from the Springs. Thankfully, we didn’t need them for much by then and I had my phone to direct us around the city once we got here. But other than those (which were a few pieces of google-maps print outs), we didn’t lose a thing!
I also got wicked sunglasses and jorts (jean-shorts) tans.

I have two roommates here, Lindsay & Melissa, both are EMI interns as well. Lindsay is my direct roommate, and she is an interior design graduate from Louisiana State University. Melissa is a civil engineering graduate from Denver (but originally from St. Louis, MO). So far we all get along great! Haha, that’s easy to say after only spending one night here together, but I honestly think we will live together well.

Today is technically my first day on the job with EMI (on a Sunday!) That’s because today we head out for a weeklong orientation/retreat at a resort called The Hideaway. It’s only a half hour north of CO Springs, and all EMI staff and interns (from all the offices—around the globe!) will be there. I’m excited to finally meet the rest of our CO Springs staff, but also to meet the teams from other offices as well. We get back to the Springs on Friday, and then start the regular work week next week.

I also just uploaded some more pictures on Flickr (link on right), but here are a few from our road-trip extravaganza!

Stopped by Mount Rushmore

Oregon Trail marker!

"Saab-y" got pretty dirty in South Dakota

On my way!

Ah! I can't believe the day has come when I'm on my way down to Colorado Springs! The few days before I left went way too quickly, and I was definitely hit with the sense that I was going to miss Minnesota. I can't wait to experience these next four months and I wouldn't trade this opportunity for staying in Minnesota, but there are plenty of reasons why I love home and will miss the many people that make it so wonderful!

I'm driving out to Colorado with my co-intern, Aaron Nawrot. He's an architecture graduate from Philadelphia University, but calls Buffalo, NY, home. Most of our other co-interns are getting to the Springs today or tomorrow, but we're road-tripping for a little R&R and adventure before we start at EMI. So, Aaron got to experience Minnesota on Sunday and Monday, then yesterday we headed out to where we are now, Rapid City.Oh yeah, and we're cruisin' in a convertible. Awesome.

enjoying the wind before the storms rolled in. good thing driving in Southern MN gives you ample warning when rain is ahead!

In Rapid City we are actually staying in the Black Hills--in a home completely off the grid (and no cell phone reception)! A friend of ours, Dave Greenlund, connected us with his friend, Jeff, who lives in this place in the Hills. It's built into the ground with a living roof, solar powered water systems and electricity systems! It's pretty sweet. And it's SO QUIET and beautiful there. Here's a picture, but check out my flickr link for more:

Jeff's a handy guy, but his craft is concrete work, so the walls are a concrete-type mix with logs and old glass bottles, and then there is a saw-dust-filled cavity in the middle for insulation. 

We are heading to Mount Rushmore today, then we'll probably hang out in God's beautiful creation more--swimming in the lake nearby or playing banana grams outside the house before it gets dark. Since there isn't much electricity out there, it gets very dark very fast!

Tomorrow we are heading to Laramie, WY, to visit Aaron's friend, and then we will stay with my friend, Dave, in Boulder, CO. We should arrive in Colorado Springs on Friday!

It's all up to God

Minneapolis City Hall,
the beautiful building across
the street from where I work

Right now I'm in my cubicle downtown, finishing up my work at my internship with the City of Minneapolis. I'm doing research here and its one of those projects that is never-ending. Thankfully, my boss here has graciously told me to pick a point at which I am done so that I will be fully focused on my next job--my internship with EMI. So, today is my last day, and I just finished the last documents I'm writing up!

My plan throughout the summer was to start packing/preparing to leave at the end of July. Ha, I haven't really started that yet and it's August 4!! For me, "packing" is always a process; it looks like this: pack a bit, run errands, pack more, make sure I have all the electronics I need & clothes washed, spend time with family & friends, pack more, and it goes on until right before I leave. This time, I'm starting to feel a little anxious realizing that this is the longest I've been away from home before,and I'll be doing all sorts of traveling--so it's a little bigger process than usual! I also need to make sure I take time to stop, breathe, and continually focus on the Lord's hand in my life. Things will get done, spending time with people I care about is important, and if I forget something--it's ok.

Me and Laura with El Toro
saying goodbye

As a blessing in disguise, God decided to end the functional life of El Toro (the car my sister and I have been sharing all summer) yesterday. I say it's a blessing because though it will seem like an inconvenience for the few days I am still here, running around, it will also keep me at home, getting things done rather than galavanting around town like I usually end up doing ;)

There are also still things up in the air regarding my time with EMI. The first one is the fact that I don't yet know where I'm living in Colorado!! I'm not worried because I know God has it under control (and EMI is doing the legwork to set us up with housing), so most likely I will find out before I get there where it is I will be staying (and who I will be living with!). Please pray for the team working on this at EMI to be trusting in God's timing for housing to come through for us! I also don't know how long or when exactly I will be out of the country. It's not super important that I know right now, but I'm a planner and I like to know. But, God has been making it clear to me throughout this entire process that I need to stop planning all the time and just let Him be in control. After all, there are so many parts of this process that have happened over the past six months that I could have never imagined!

One last exciting piece of information-- I've gotten in touch with the person we'll be staying with in Rapid City next week! His name is Jeff and he is a friend of my former pastor, Dave Greenlund. I was talking about my internship with Pastor Dave a month ago and happened to mention that Aaron (my fellow intern who I am catching a ride with to CO) and I didn't know where we were going to stay in Rapid City on our way out. He said that since he used to work out there, that he had a couple people in mind! So, by God's blessing, we got connected with Jeff, who lives in an earth-berm house, off the grid, in the Black Hills National Forest! Sounds like this house is pretty sweet, and it's going to be fun staying in such a beautiful place! Praise the Lord for the great adventures He keeps laying ahead and for such great hospitality shown to us!