Team Palm Tree (part 1)

"And the moments when my good times start to fade,

You make me smile like the sun, 
Fall out of bed, sing like a bird, dizzy in my head,
Just the thought of you can drive me wild,
Oh, you make me smile."
[uncle.kracker]

It was March 2010. I was a few months away from finishing up my associates degree at Montgomery College and trying to figure out where I wanted to go to finish my college career. Ever since we moved I had always said that I wanted to go to Liberty University [anything to get back down south]. But financially things didn't work out.

During the annual family gathering for Easter down with my dad's side of the family the topic of where I was going to continue school came up. My uncle mentioned that I should think about going to George Mason and working as an Resident Assistant for Mason LIFE. This was a program that he helped to initiate many years ago to allow students with intellectual disabilities to have the college experience. So he contacted the director of the program and explained that his niece was interested in being an RA.

Fast forward to May 2010. I had already been in contact with the director of the program and met with her. Then she pointed me to the Senior Resident Advisor, Lmya, for me to have an informal interview with her. I planned to meet her one sunday afternoon. I went to church that morning down in Fairfax with some friends and then went out to lunch afterward.

After getting a little bit lost going from the restaurant back to campus, and then getting lost on campus trying to find out where to park, I eventually found my way to the right dorm building. Nervously, I called Lmya and told her I was out front waiting for her to let me in. She kindly greeted me and we walked to her room. The walls were white and bare. The carpet was blue. The hallway smelled weird. And I had no idea what was in store for me. She introduced me to some of the students and then we had our little "interview". I don't remember much of the actual conversation, but the end result was that I was going to be an RA in this program.

Fast forward again to August 2010. The week before school started we had to be at campus for an orientation. So, my parents helped me move all my stuff to my cozy basement room in uncle and aunt's house, where I would be living for the semester. Monday morning I drove to campus [following the directions my dad had given me] and gave myself plenty of time in case I got lost. With a map in hand I wandered around campus trying to find the right building.

Once I found the room, the first day of orientation week began. The day couldn't have gone any slower. It honestly felt like initiation or something. In this room full of instructors and other RAs, I suddenly felt like a fish out of water. I only knew Lmya and another instructor I met over the summer at a summer camp my cousin attended. We did the typical go around and introduce yourselves, tell us what year you are in school, and an interesting thing about you. Why do people feel the need to know something interesting about you?

We finished the intimidating introductions and split for our group meetings. The small group of RAs came together and we began to plan out the semester. Do you know hard it is to plan a RA work schedule when you are trying to work around six people's school schedule? Talk about crazy.

At the beginning of our time Lmya gave each of us our Residential Housing handbooks. While handing them out she said, "You all might be confused as to why there is a picture of a palm tree on the front of your hand book. Any guesses as to why that is there?" When all the ridiculous answers were given Lmya told us we were stupid [not really..] and said "Have you ever seen a palm tree during a hurricane? When you look on tv, they always show the palm trees swaying and bending like crazy because of the wind, but they have strong roots and never break. This year will be a lot of fun, it will have difficult times, and we will sway and bend around. So we are team palm tree, we bend but don't break."

nationals game || sept 2010

cooking in Residential Housing

gabe + jenny at the air and space museum

manly men confidently holding purses

jessica + greg (aka elvis)

the girls and I going to Mason Day

spread the word to end the word

they celebrate the end of the semester a little strangely

"hey gabe! i just farted..."

3D movie at the air and space museum

The first year of team palm tree (2010-2011) consisted of 10 students and 6 RAs. We were a great family. One of the things we wanted to do as a Residential Housing unit was to do monthly activities. We went to a Nationals game, the air and space museum, national history museum, and did a lot of activities on campus.

But, just when I was getting use to our small family, the next year (2011-2012) our family doubled in size. Instead of having 10 students in 3 dorm rooms, we now had 23 students in 3 dorm rooms and 3 townhouses off campus [but close enough to campus to walk or take the bus]. Because there were more students in residential housing, you guessed it - that meant we needed 13 RAs instead of 6. That year's RA orientation meeting was fun. I thought trying to figure out 6 people's schedule for RA work was difficult. God bless Lmya for dealing with all 13 of us.

first dinner together of the 2011-2012 year

With more people in Residential Housing not only brought more responsibility, but more opportunities for more fun. We went to dance parties the first week of school, went to movies on campus, went to the zoo down in DC, had cookouts at the townhouses, made "Pizza Wednesdays" a weekly tradition, had super bowl parties, went down to DC at night to see all the monuments lit up, went to the Kennedy Center to see a play, and over all enjoyed spending time with each other, even if it meant at 3am when some drunk guy in the building pulled the fire alarm and we all had to wait outside for half an hour in the freezing October night.

townhouse get together

townhouse get together

townhouse cook out

zoo

zoo

townhouse cook out

townhouse cook out

zoo

zoo

zoo

Mr. O likes to color in study hall

Mason Madness 2011

mason madness 2011

mason madness 2011

kennedy center

kennedy center

kennedy center

kennedy center

dc at night

dc at night

The year and a half I spent at Mason and in this program was probably the best year and a half of my life. We all came from different backgrounds and even came from a variety of states. (Ohio, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania) But that didn't stop us from becoming one big, happy family. There were times when we laughed, there were times when we cried, and there were even times when we got angry with one another. But through it all, we knew that we were all here to support each other (we bend, but don't break). I feel like I have known my coworkers my whole life because we developed such strong friendships.

I learned this from first hand experience. There were many nights, before I knew I was sick, when I would be so exhausted that I couldn't make it until the 11pm curfew. So my dear coworker and friend, Jenny, would tell me to "go to bed and not worry about it and she would check and make sure the girls got to bed." 

Last March, when we found out I was sick and dad took me home, was one of the hardest days. Not only because we found out I had cancer, but because I knew I had to take a medical withdrawal from school and leave my Mason LIFE family.

Words can not describe how much I love all my coworkers and each and every one of my students. These students are some of the most caring, compassionate people I know. Because I didn't want them to worry about me, they were not told all the specifics of what was happening. They just knew that I was really sick and needed to be home with my family to recover. But they didn't need to know all the specifics in order to be caring and compassionate.

get well note from a student

get well notes on our RA board from coworkers and students

a whole stack of get well notes from all the students in Mason LIFE

Sometimes I wonder why I even went to Mason because it definitely wasn't my first choice. But God knew why. Before the world began, God knew that I was going to get sick. He knew that I would be away (from my family) at college when I was sick and He knew that I needed a second family to take care of me.

I do not regret that year and a half of my college career. If anything, during this time God showed me what vocation to pursue in life. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher and get my degree in elementary education. But little did I know that I would add special education to that degree also. I don't know if that would have happened if I hadn't been apart of this program.

As this new school semester is starting, I am torn because part of me wishes I was back on campus with them. However, God has called me in a different direction. But Team Palm Tree will always hold a special place in my heart. Some of us have graduated, some of us are graduating this year, some of us aren't in program anymore, but all of us can say that we were part of Team Palm Tree.

At the end of the first year, I made a slideshow for Residential Housing class to highlight our year. Enjoy.

kennedy center

Goodbye 2012

"Be assured,  if you walk with Him
and look to Him and expect help from Him,
He will never fail you."
[george.mueller]

If you were to tell me December 31, 2011, that I would be looking back on the year 2012 in gratefulness, I probably would have half way believed you. Every day we should be grateful because it is another day God has given us, and another day of living. How is it possible for me to even summarize this past year in one blog post? Well, I will attempt to try my best with the following highlights.

*Cancer-free in 2 1/2 months

There is no question that this is probably the biggest highlight of my year. As you all are aware being told that I cancer back at the end of March was no easy thing. Having PET scans and biopsies and ER visits are not the best. And going through chemotherapy wasn't the most pleasant thing. Not understanding why God would let me go through this was frustrating. But, knowing that God completely killed all the cancer cells that were in me in just 2 1/2 months, is mind boggling and amazing.

*End of treatment celebrations

I don't think that I will ever be done celebrating the end of treatments. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that you can travel and make visits and not have to worry about going to Hopkins for check ups and treatments.

I road tripped to the little town of Grove City, PA to visit my best friend for her last semester of college. It was full of crazy fun, apple festivals, late night talks, and flat tires. I also surprised my best friend for a weekend back in November. There are no words to describe how wonderful that trip was - just watch the video. It speaks for all words that could be spoken to describe that trip. I also took a girls weekend trip with my mom, her best friend since elementary school, and her daughter (aka my older sister) to Lancaster, PA. We shopped, ate, went to see a Sight and Sound play, ate, laughed (a lot), talked, ate.

lancaster, pa

lancaster, pa

grove city, pa

louisville, ky

*Hopkins

Well it is no surprise that the majority of these past 9 months have been trips back and forth to Hopkins. Every week it was a struggle to get out of bed and to have to go for check ups or treatments or scans. It made things harder when you aren't feeling 100% either. But those trips were life-changing. Not only with medicine and being healed, but with the people we interacted with.

The first day I ever went to Hopkins, met with the doctor and my nurse we met this couple from Lancaster, PA. She had been coming to Hopkins for treatment for several years and my parents and I instantly connected with them. We didn't see them very often, but when we did they always said how they had been praying for me. There was another woman, an architect who my dad use to do work with, who was also there for treatments. We would occasionally see each other and she would encourage me and my parents as we were going through this journey. It's amazing how at times when we feel alone in a situation, God provides people who we don't even know and have never met in our lives to care for us and pray for us.

And I could not complete this highlight without mentioning the wonderful nurses that took care of me. Nurse Lynne was my primary nurse. The moment we first met her she immediately became part of our family. We developed a close friendship with her as she would tell us about her life and vacations, and asked me us and if there were any potential boys in my life. (ha. no.) She was not just the nurse who gave me my chemo injections, she was caring and compassionate and took a real interest in her patients. This was not just the case with her, but all of the nurses I interacted with.

*New baby cousins

On to more fun highlights. June 25 a new little chunky monkey was born into our crazy, cuban family. Over the past 6 months it has been wonderful seeing this little guy grow each day. And back at the end of September, we found out that there is going to be a new addition to the family this coming May.

*Monumental Birthdays

It still is crazy to think that my little brother, the one who would climb up the walls in-between the door frames and the one who my friends and I would stuff in the dryer to see if he would fit, is officiall legal. Like it just blows my mind. On top of THAT! A daughter of one of our dear, close family friends turned 13. I remember when she was first brought to the States from Nicaragua, and now my little baby sister is a teen ager. I'm getting old.

*Youth Retreat

Being able to participate on the youth administrative team at our church has been such a blessing. Since I knew I was going to be home for a while and not going back to school in Virginia, I was thrilled to come back and help on the team. The youth retreat is the biggest highlight of the beginning of the school year for the youth. My parents were hesitant in letting me go because I was still undergoing treatment, it was in the middle of the summer and hot, and as admin we are in charge of setting up and running the games. And being the strong-willed person I am, I tend to want to be superwoman and do everything I can. Well, I paced myself and was able to take a lot of pictures and make slideshows. It was a different type of hard work, but totally worth it. These kids bring me so much joy and serving along side of the other admin members is so encouraging. Every day I learn from them the meaning of true servanthood and what it means to show the light of Christ.

doughnut sales on sunday morning

we are team admin

*Summer Camps

After we found out that I was cancer-free back in June, it allowed me to help out with two different summer camps at our church. The first one was a week long, 3 hours a day. It was full of teaching, worship, drama/acting, and games. There is no question that this is one of the best weeks of the summer. I was also able to participate administratively in a 2 week musical camp for children grades 3rd-8th. It amazes me that in 2 weeks, 50 or so kids can learn an entire script, music, and  put on a short play.

summer musical

summer celebration

summer celebration

summer musical

*Youth Drama

No. This has nothing to do with high school drama and who likes who, etc. When my family moved to Maryland and became move involved in the church I participated in plays that are put on by the youth of our church. I participated by being in 2 of the plays while I was still in high school, and after high school by taking pictures. Now, I am able to intricately be involved and help with music and take pictures. This year the cast is performing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Stay tuned for more information on this. If you're in the Gaithersburg area in the middle of March 2013, come on by. You won't want to miss this powerful performance.

*Family

Being able to spend time with my family during Thanksgiving and Christmas was definitely a highlight. I would not have been able to get through these past months without their care, support, and prayers. Sure, my family could best be described as the Cuban version of "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding" but I wouldn't trade them out for anything in the world.

*Complete remission

It is amazing to think that just a short 9 months ago I was diagnosed with Hodgkins. Now, I am in complete remission. God has been so good and faithful. In the hard times, in the happy times, God never left us. When we are faithless, He remains faithful. What an amazing truth we can hold on to. Although this past year has been full of "highs" and "lows" I have much to be thankful for. This year definitely didn't go the way I might have planned for it to go. But God knew what He was doing. And He already knows what this next year will bring, not only in my life, but in yours also.

Morning by morning I wake up to find,

The power and comfort of God's hand in mine.

Season by season I watch Him amazed,

In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways.

All I have need of, His hand will provide,

He's always been faithful to me.

I can't remember a trial or a pain,

He did not recycle to bring me gain.

I can't remember one single regret,

In serving God only, and trusting His hand.

All I have need of, His hand will provide,

He's always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song,

The theme of the stories I've heard for so long.

God has been faithful, He will be again,

His loving compassion, it knows no end.

All I have need of, His hand will provide,

He's always been faithful to me

He Called Them Home

"When my world is shaking,
Heaven stands.
When my heart is breaking,
I never leave Your hands."
[j.j.heller]

As American citizens we are blessed with so much. From clothes to food to houses to modes of transportation, etc. We also have many educational opportunities and a variety of vocations. As a nation we are greatly blessed. We have men and women over-seas fighting wars and protecting our nation and our freedom. Many of these men and women have lost their lives and are recognized as heros. No one can forget the horrific terrorist attack 11 years ago where hundreds of lives were lost. There are no explanations for events like this.

However, not all recognized heros are those who fight in wars. I do not want to diminish the honor and respect that the men and women fighting over-seas deserve, but some heros are found in the lives of the young children and teachers who's lives were lost over the weekend in the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.

None of us can begin to imagine how these parents and families are dealing with this loss. I can't imagine being that mom or dad who have to return the Christmas presents they bought for their 6 or 7 year old who can't join them this year. Christmas is suppose to be the most wonderful time of the year. But these parents and families are grieving. Some parents will even have to explain to their younger children why they won't be able to play with their older siblings. The traditional holiday cheer and gift will instead be full of funerals and tears.

This tragic, unexplainable event should make us more aware that our days are numbered. Although we do not understand why these young children had to die, God knew and had planned out all their days. And He has planned out each and every one of our days as well. After reading this blog post you could suddenly have a heart-attack and die. [I pray that doesn't happen, but you get my point.]

Although this blog post is not very long, I encourage you to make the most of your days. That might mean calling or texting that one person just to say that you love them. Or it might mean volunterring and helping out at your local Soup Kitchen and serving those who are less fortunate than you. Jesus Christ came to this earth, became a human, not to be served, but to serve. As Christians, we are to be image-bearers of Christ. So whatever you do to "make the most of your days", use this holiday season to share the love of Christ to those who may not know His love.

Satan's job is to kill, steal, and destroy. He will try any possible way to get people to question God. He will even allow a young adult to take the lives of 26 innocent children and teachers in an elementary school. But, God's light is stronger than the darkness of the evil one. He is a Father to the fatherless. "When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand."

Where is God in situations like this?
Where is God when innocent lives are taken?
Right where He has always been.
Waiting with arms wide open to heal the brokenhearted.
Hope and trust in Him friends. He will never forsake you.

The True Christmas Story

"You bore the wrath reserved for me.

Now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah, All I have is Christ.

Hallelujah, Jesus is my life."

[sovgracemusic]

During the Christmas season we can get wrapped up in the "holiday spirit" with all the pretty decorations and department store sales. We live in a culture where Santa and giving presents to people have turned our eyes from the real meaning of Christmas. We started a new series at church this month entitled "What Christmas Creates". Josh Harris opened the series and spoke about Gratefulness. "Why talk about gratefulness as the opening of a sermon series on What Christmas Creates? Isn't that more of a message during the Thanksgiving holiday?" Well, I'm glad you asked.

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington declared that in November a certain day would "be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks." Yes it is true that he was referring to that certain day as the Thanksgiving holiday. But is that the only day for us to be grateful and thankful what what we have been given? I think not. We have millions of reasons to be thankful to God, no matter the circumstances. "How am I suppose to be grateful in all circumstances? Isn't that going a little bit too far?" It is only through Jesus that we can be thankful in all circumstances. It is because He loves us and cares for us that we can rejoice in all things and give thanks.

Why? Because Jesus was born to save us from our sins. All of us are familiar with the Christmas Story whether we regularly attend church or not. Over 2000 years ago a baby was born of a virgin and they called His name Jesus. He became human and dwelt among men, lived a perfect life and perfectly obeyed his Father. Then one day He was led up a hill called Calvary and die a brutal death that we deserved. This my friends, is the gospel. If you are a Christian and believer in Christ, your eternal destiny is secure. What an amazing truth. The Bible says that in this world we will face tribulation and different problems. I know some friends who are going through significant trials. I know other friends who are just trying to make it through their undergraduate degree. But, our biggest problem is our sin and guilt before a Holy God. Why on earth would he allow sinners like us to call him 'Abba, Father' and allow us to approach the throne of grace in time of need? Are you more aware of everything that is going wrong in your life than the amazing work of the cross and the hope that your eternal destiny is secure? No matter what we are facing, we can give thanks because our biggest problem has been taken care of on the cross because of what God has done through Christ.

Not only was Jesus born to save us from our sins, because of the birth of Jesus God is truly with us. They called him Immanuel, which means "God with us" - not "God sometimes with us when He feels like it". No - God. With. Us. In the good times and the bad times, we can be assured that God is with us. Sometimes in trial we may not feel like He is with us helping us, but He is there with us every step of the way, loving us and caring for us. We do not worship a God who loves us from a distance. We are not in our circumstances alone. Jesus is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, 

but one who in ever respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [hebrews 4:15]

Sometimes I feel like I just go about my life, doing my agenda that needs to be done for the day, and then things that I do not plan for myself [aka: getting sick and having to leave school...] randomly happen. But, our lives are not a bunch of random events. God, before time, perfectly ordained the path that each one of has taken and will take in the future. No matter what happens in this life, no matter where we live, no matter where we go to school, no matter what trials we face: we have already been predestined. He works all things for our good.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who 

are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to 

be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many 

brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he 

also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." [romans 8:28-30]

How does God work all things for our good? What about wars? What about cancer? What about corrupt government? If God is a good, loving Father, why would He allow such horrible things to happen? Well, because of Adam and Eve and the fall of man we have become a sinful people who do sinful things and we will not experience paradise until that one day when all things will be made right and heaven is our home. Each trial that we face is conforming us to the image of Christ, whether we realize it or not. Our sufferings are not outside of Gods plan.

So. Will you see gratefulness as an issue of obedience and transformative because of what Christ has done for us? Will you see your trials as part of God's plan? Or will you continue to be more aware of everything that is going wrong in your life?  If you would like to listen to the full message click here. 

"There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with great purpose." _alan.redpath