Well here I am back at NGU. I have been for two weeks today. It's been crazy. Beyond crazy. I got here on the 9th for RA training. I walked into the first meeting not knowing what to expect. I was slightly nervous and apprehensive because of the stigma that goes on with the title of RA. We've had some bad things happen in our Student Services department and the attitudes of people haven't been the best. So I was bracing myself for the backlash from other students. However, once I went to the first meeting I realized, something was completely different. The mentalitly of the group had changed. SERVANT LEADERSHIP is our motto. We have taken that on full heartedly.

I wasn't fully comprehending the idea of Servant Leadership until Tuesday, the 12th. To do team building we were sent on a White Water Rafting trip. We were put into teams with people we may or may not have known. I had my fellow hall RA in my boat with people I really didn't know that well surrounding us. We got in the water and started paddling down the river...within 5 minutes our boat capsized and along with myself, our guide, and two other guys went into the water being ravaged by the current. It was freezing. The water in the Nantahala doesn't get above 45 degrees...that day it was 42. I was sucked out of the boat and the next thing I know I am a good couple of hundred feet down the river trying to fight for my life. I was trying to find somewhere to stop myself so that the boats of other teams from our group could get to me. Finally I found a rock that I could sit on. Once there I looke up and saw my boat with a few members still in and working on getting one of our guys in. He got in and yelled that I needed to swim to them. So I sat for a minute trying to regain whatever strength I could and finally made the push off to get to them. Just as I was right about to reach for the boat the boat got swept in the current and they were off. Thank God, I had made it to a bank where there wasn't much current at all. I finally stood up because the water wasn't really moving and just stood. I was so shocked...I was so cold. I stood there in disbelief of what just happened. The rapid wasnt' that big but we hit it completely wrong. I will never forget the look on my friend Brittany's face as she watched me float down the river. When i would come up I would look for the boat and she was in the boat just watching and trying to find out how to get me. I stood on the bank as a few boats passed me and other boats tried to help Shawn and Tank. My friend Phillip finally saw me and had a boat come get me...to him I am eternally grateful. I got in and started singing "Survivor" by Destiny's Child. We floated down the river and there was my original boat with most of the members waiting on the bank for me. I was so thankful for them. It was great to have them pull of and wait. For the rest of the ride we were working as a team and fighting for each other. It was amazing.

When I got back I could barely walk because my knees were completely banged up. One had a bruise in the shape of Africa...and i promise you I'm not lying. Both of them were swollen for days and hurt like crazy. However that experience is one I will never forget and will never hate. We bonded so much on that trip and really saw Servant Leadership put to the test. One girl in our group had to be air vacked out and it was pretty scary but it was an amazing experience to go through together.

Since then the freshmen have moved in and classes have started. I got a brand new camera and man it's amazing.

Classes are going well. Mostly art and that is awesome.

I'm on Duty this weekend so i'm at NGU most the time but it's still amazing to get to interact with the students and further the ministry.