So here I am starting another journey to Northern California before our tour actually begins. I believe we will be in the San Fransisco area. Last time we went North we saw advertisements for the wax museum but we decide to go to mercer caverns instead because we thought maybe we would get an assignment closer to San Fransisco than we were last week. I guess it turns out that we made a good decision. :-) you know what... I still hold a sense of awe and wonder about being a part of the Camfel Productions team. I an excited to think about wher God is leading of and what He has for me while i'm here and where He will lead me after the ten month tour is over.

Update Not from a phone!!!

Okay, so I'm going to try to do this update really quickly before I have to give Katey's computer back to her. I am in California right now. We just ended week two of training. The first week was hard, and this week was much easier. I feel prepared. Camfel has been really great at preparing us for everything we are going to be doing.

I found out that I will be touring in the northwest states. IE Oregon, Washington, Montana, etc. My partner is going to be a girl named Michelle. (The same returner that I went to Northern California with this past week).

On Friday I went to Santa Monica with a few people and I got to see the ocean for the first time in my life. While we were looking at it, I told the people I was with that I wanted to touch it, so we went down to the shore and waded in the water. It was great amazing cool fun.

I am so excited about being where I am right now because i feel like I am right where I am supposed to be. I feel like God has me here for a reason. I don't know what that reason is or where God is going to take me, but I feel so much closer to Him. I feel alive. I'm finally begining to feel like I am where I belong. And ironically, that is in no set place. Haha, travelling jobs....

Working with Camfel these past two weeks has been amazing for my relationship with God. There has just been so much of Him and so little of me and I feel like our relationship is better and I understand him a little more.

There will always be pain. There will always be suffering. There will always be days when I feel like I've been abandoned by God and that there is no hope in life, I don't doubt that. But I'm seeing myself able to cling to God despite that. I see myself being able to be more honest with myself about who I am and more honest with others. I truly feel like I'm am being transparent and unashamed despite the fact that I am not a perfect person.

God has been working on me while I'm here. Today I know that He loves me and I feel so much in love with Him. He is here and He is present and as I'm walking through the hardest times of life He is calling my name and saying, "Amanda, focus on me"

Well. It's time for me to give the computer back to Katey. I wish I could write more because there is so much more in my heart that I want to say.

Guess what! I an currently on my way to northern California to do a few shows. I got a call from the team manager yesterday and he told me that i've been working really hard and he was going to send me with Michelle to northern California. I will be there until Thursday. I'm missing most of the second week of training which makes me a little nervous because I don't know if I'm ready to do this. I don't know if i'm quick enough or ... I'm just not feeling confident. I will probably be fine. I don't think they would send me out unless they thought i'd be fine. I'm with a returner so it will be all right. :-) i should probably clarify that i am not being sent permanenty yet. There are just a few early shows that i'm going with. I will get some real life experience. It will be fun. We will have a day off on Wednesday so maybe we can go to the beach. thats what i would like to do. I don't know how close to the beach we will be because i don't remember the cities we're going to be in. I think i'm actually not supposed to say what city i will be in on any public forum. I will have to check into that. Until next time take care!

Wow. So i've made it through a week of training. It has been incredibly frustrating, but it's also been rewarding. I caught myself having a bad attitude on Wednesday and on thursday i wanted to give up but they made me continue and i'm so much better today even though i was crying a lot yesterday. i finally passed one of the time time test that i've been having a really hard time with. I was supposed to do the test in three minutes or less and today i finally got it in two minutes and fifty eight seconds. The whole time i was praying saying please God please God! Even though this week was really hard I an so glad that i was pushed like i was. I reached my breaking point probably four times but i know i'm getting stronger. I have expanded my limit. I feel like i can do anything. It's amazing how this line of thing can also stretch your faith. I think my prayer life has increased one hundred percent. Haha! I do feel closer to God and i'm excited for where He is taking me. i should find out who i'm travelling with and where i'm travelling in a few days. right now i am at disney in california. Not in the park, just walking around with the girls in the downtown area. :-) the prices are outrageous. :-( Tomorrow i get to go with to up Nora. :-) Well thats all for tonight.

Wow. Today was really hard. I've been trying to push my self because i want to be a really good employee for Camfel. My goal is excellence not adequacey. Ofcourse they are also giving us the pushes we need as well. it's felt very warm in California and i drank over three litres of water today before dinner. I really wish that i had a scale so i could weigh myself at the end of the two weeks of training. I should alstake my measurements. By the time i visit home again i'm going to look different. I'll be thinner and tanner. I look forward to it. Well we've got another activity so this is all for now.

I'm here! I made it to LA! More later. I'm letting my phone charge and i'm waiting for a phone call anyway.

61 miles to LA. So many palm trees....

I saw a sign for this highway that said "your tax dollars at work" 500 feet later i say another sign that said "uneven pavement- reduce speed" and i thought: wow, their tax dollars weren't used very wisely.

I'm in California. I'm actually starting to see more green, mostly trees, not much grass though. A few hours left and i'll be in LA.

You know, i just left los vegas under an hour ago and i have to admit... I'm not impressed. The landscape, even in town, is barren. there's not much green. Even the mountains look like they are simply piles of dirt with no life on them at all. When you get closer you can see some of the different layers of rock and small bushes climbing the sides. This is such a contrast to Colorado mountains. In colorado the mountains left of with a sense of beauty, power, and wonder. Here the mountains just leave a feeling of barrenness and desolation. It's not without its beauty it's just really... raw. In other news, this bus is freezing cold, even with a blanket. I'm almost out of food. I have an apple left. It's huge, but i will rate it or when i get really hungry. I'm so ready to be done with the bus trip.

257 miles to go and i am ready for this bus ride to end.

After six hours of waiting in the bus station, we loaded up and left! I'm finally on my way to LA again. When we entered the Colorado mountain range a hush fell over the bus. I don't know if it was because of the beauty that surrounded us or if we all just simply understood that quiet would help our bus driver concentrate on maneuvering through the mountains and valleys. It's really incredible to be driving through the mountains and despite the aggravations with the trip so far, I am really glad i had the opportunity to see this. I just had a thought that struck me as really funny. Last night there was a full moon. We'll just pretend thats the reason for all the issues. Haha

This is one of the most challenging adventures i've ever been on. Because of the delays and everything that has been going on i an now sitting it bus terminal in Denver Colorado for the next five hours. We were told that we had to switch buses, so we did even though a few of us told them we were supposed to be able to do this without switching. we went to the number they told up to stay by and waited in this horribly long line only to be told that thebus was full. But they exchanged our tickets and now have us waiting for the cup that comes at six. A lot of people are very unhappy. I don't blame them. I'm not happy right now either but i'm trying to be positive and in with the flow. i've had the opportunity to talk with a few interesting people. I'm also charging my bell phone and my camera batteries. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

What an adventure! So we left an hour and a half late yesterday and the bus driver skipped the rest stops to help us catch up on time. we switched drivers in St. Louis, and he did the same thing. so there have been some hungry and cranky people on the bus. One lady was thirsty but the vending machinings were out of order so i have her a bottle of water from my lunches. And then I saw a family with small children and the kids were hungry so i have them i bunch of fruit snacks. when we stopped in Kansas to switch drivers (just after 4am)our driver ditched us and we were stuck for another hour and a half until the new driver showed up. We were at a gas station in the middle of nowhere! Other greyhound buses had stopped so some people got off the bus to see if anyone knew what was going on or if anyone could help us and one of the other driver said "You're SOL"our new driver eventually showed up and we finally got moving again at about five thirty. Now i'm in colorado on my way to denver and i learned recently that i an going to have to switch buses when we get to denver. Yep it's been quite an adventure so far...

And so starts my first grand adventure. As i'm sitting on the bus waiting to leave i have a sense of feeling like i can't believe i'm doing this. Before now it has been fairly interesting, but not much has required both me and my family to put myself completely in God's hands. My friends Christine, Doug, and Rachel accompanied me to the greyhound station in chicago. We got here 2 hours early so we walked around a little and got shakes from Jamba juice. just before we got back to the car to get my luggage i looked down in the parking lot and when i looked up again i smacked my head into some construction equipment that was sticking out the back of a truck. I got a nice little cut between my eyes. Thus my first great story to tell about my adventures. Lol! I'm fine, though. The bus ended up being an hour and a half late so i sat down and started singing disney songs :) i think that embarrassed Rachel a little. and so here i am now. Worst case scenario is that there is a bomb on the bus and we cant go less than 50 miles an hour or we will explode, haha. it's going to be a long trip and i'll update as often as i feel its necessary. I'll also take pictures. I still can't believe i'm doing this.

I worked at the fair this week. I've recieved minor sunburn three times, and I wore sunscreen. But I guess you should reapply sunscreen every six hours. I usually forget to do that. I may end up with some nice bronze skin, but I can't help but wonder what kind of damage the sun has done this week.

I also have small itchy bumps in a few random spots. I found a spider crawing on me twice today. I hope if they're spider bites, they're not serious.

I was hired by Camfel Productions, and now I'm waiting on a way to get to California for training. I'm really excited about the job, and for the ministry I will be able to do and the places I will go. My parents are excited for me too.

Yay.
I'll have to write more later.