Firstly I apologize to those of you who were excited and anticipating my weekly blogs. I have not only been very busy but I have also been lazy with my free time. I have been so busy because for the past two weeks I have been in Louisiana for hurricane Ida relief. We worked with Samaritans Purse in Metairie, Louisiana. Seeing the life's affected by the hurricane dulled the trials in my life by comparison. And the joy of the homeowners even though they're house was crumbling and moldy challenged my view on my own life. The men and women we served alongside as well as the home owners grew my relationship with God and ironically made it sturdier. The biggest lesson the Lord taught me during my time in the bayou was happiness is fleeting and leaves you thirstier than before but the joy of the Lord is unwavering when we choose it and fulfills us. On my first day at SP the legal circumstances of being under 18, my team I was put with, and seeing the other teams immediately caused me to stumble. Since I was under 18 I wasn't allowed on the roofs, use of any power tools even if I've had plenty of experience with them, or interactions with the homeowners one on one. As well as the small remarks to my age my squadmates made unbeknownst to them dug deep. The team I was put with were a lot of people who I hadn't spoken a whole lot to up to SP. And it seemed to me all the people I had been around the most were all on the same teams. The combination of my circumstances with what I now know to be a spiritual attack from the enemy made my first Monday at SP the hardest day I can remember. BUT all things are used for the glory of God and the benefit of his children. Not being able to rely on my own happiness forced me to choose the joy of the Lord. And like night and day my first Tuesday at SP was the most joyful and God filled day I had while being there. I grew closer to my team than I ever would've imagined prior to Tuesday. My love for them and my squad as a whole deepened in the past two weeks. I also learned that the plan God has for us doesn't work out when we compare it to the plan he has for others. God continues to prove faithful and continues to bring me into a closer relationship with him.