no longer here..

hey,

I am no longer going to post blogs to this site.

they will, from now on be here:

http://hajflagler08.tumblr.com

semi-sweet morsels

These last two days I have been visiting my brother in good ol' Miami. I haven't seen in him nearly 6 months so it was definitely a much needed trip. I have missed him and Miami so much, and I definitely needed some time there, even if it was a mere 24 hours. While I was there I made the very familiar trip down to Homestead, to the ministry center I have volunteered at for 7 years, Open House Ministries. When I walked in the director (a very dear family friend who has known me since I was 4) gave me a huge hug and said "Welcome Home." That is exactly how I feel about OHM. Since my family has moved to the Tampa area, I have really felt displaced, and I have held on to Miami. Today, I realized that is, in a large part, because of OHM. The families, and children I have met and gotten to know in that community are a HUGE part of my life, and a huge part of my heart. It was so good to be there today, and hug the people who have nurtured, encouraged, and affirmed my calling to the mission field, and seen me grow from the know-it-all 13 year old to the semi-know-it-all 20 year old that I now am. The bitterness hit as I was leaving and I realized that this will be the first summer in 7 years that I will not, in some fashion, be volunteering, or even present in Homestead. Though I know God has called me to Brooklyn, I will miss Homestead. I know this is what I need. I am a firm believer that God does not call us to be "comfortable." He calls us to grow in faith and in deed, and in order for growth to happen we have to step outside of ourselves and acknowledge His power, love, mercy, and grace. Homestead is where I am comfortable, it is a part of me. It is what I love, but I need to step outside of myself and allow God to break my heart for Brooklyn, so that he can use me for His glory.

3, 2, 1....

So the countdown has begun. I depart for Brooklyn in just 41 days, and I could not be more excited. This experience is going to be amazing, life changing, and absolutely epic. I was mildly anxious about this earlier in the week, and I realized today that I shouldn't be, for two very important reasons:

1) I will be living in New York for 2 whole months (a dream)

2) I will be doing what I am passionate about (working with children in need)

Nothing else really matters. I am so excited to have this opportunity. and I can't wait for June 11.

SO TONIGHT WAS AMAZING!!!

I am going to deviate from my New York preparation a little and talk about my absolutely amazing night!!! I am going to geek out a little bit and talk about the concert I went to this evening in Saint Augustine!

LOCAL NATIVES.

If you don't know them, you should. THEY ARE INCREDIBLE!! I inadvertently discovered them earlier this year when I was downloading some things on itunes, and somehow their song "Airplanes" ended up in my purchased items. Though I never wanted to "purchase" this song, I am so glad my computer decided to download it for me. I listened to it once, and then all of a sudden it was on repeat, and I was buying their entire debut album "Gorilla Manor" and telling all of my friends about them. I have not been able to stop listening to their album since I bought it, and as soon as I found out they were coming to my town, I bought myself, and two of my close friends a ticket.

Tonight (well technically last night) was the concert, and I definitely had a mini freak attack. As soon as we pulled up to the venue I saw that they were standing outside, and I knew we would meet them, and we did . . . several times. I have been to quite a few concerts, but this one was definitely the best one yet, and it will be difficult to top. I was right next to the stage, I literally could have touched them if I wanted to, but I refrained from doing so. The thing that impressed me most about them, was not their musical talent (which is very impressive), but they are all very genuine, and very nice guys. Though my friend and I maybe got a little to excited, they stayed and took pictures with us (they even made silly faces in one of them), and never once seemed annoyed.

So I guess what I am trying to say is... I love Local Natives! I had the best time ever, and I will gladly see them again!!!

From left to right: Taylor, Andy, Matt, Marissa (friend), Me, Kelcey, and Ryan

What? When? Why?

Today, it finally hit me that I will be spending my first summer totally away from home. I am packing up, and leaving town for Brooklyn, New York. Though I have known about this for over a month now, it never really sunk in, until now. I am going to Brooklyn, I will be living there, and I can't wait.

As I said earlier, over a month ago I applied for a summer internship with Student.Go (A super awesome organization that allows college students to truly make a difference). I applied for the position at CLUE camp ministries in Brooklyn, New York. This camp, is essentially a day camp for children in Brooklyn who live in poverty. I was accepted for the position and I couldn't be happier.

Why am I doing this? The honest answer is, my faith in Jesus Christ, and my want to follow His example set in Matthew 25. I want to love "the least of these." and beyond that, I am called to love them. I am passionate about service, and in my core I know that I am meant for a life of ministry. This summer is only just the beginning.

In this little corner of the web I hope to provide timely updates about my time in Brooklyn. I still have a little more than a month before I depart, so in the meantime, It is just going to be stories about my preparation, and absolutely random posts! (If I bore you, I apologize)

There you have it,

Holly