Happy New Week!

This has been a great week for the Shaw family! Michael is enjoying his job as a baker and says it is really fulfilling to make some one's day through simple baked goods. He gets to serve what they have made and has had other campers come up later and thank him, telling him they really enjoyed their cakes/cookies/brownies. As he puts it, "It is nice to do something special like this because nothing great happens here." I am glad he is trying to be a light and provide joy. Michael has also been able to make some of his own meals (breakfast and lunch) in the kitchen when they are busy. Another good thing is that the kitchen is air conditioned. This has been especially valuable since the air conditioning in the dorms has been out all week and they were told today it may not be fixed until the end of next week. Michael said they have had the windows open but it still gets pretty hot in the dorms. Last week Michael was asked to "emcee" the church service he attends. He now qualifies as a "regular" and they needed someone to do the welcome, announcements and introduce the clergy person. He said he really enjoyed doing it and thought he did a pretty good job. Yesterday he was able to visit with his mentor through the L2L group, Max, and was happy to spend time with him catching up. L2L is an Atlanta-based Christian community focusing on mentoring one- on-one or "life-to-life" in small group settings (www.l2l.org). It is a phenomenal group and should be a national organization if it is not already. If you are looking for something like this - find out more about them and find a group. It will make a difference in your life and those you interact with. Michael and I both wish he had found them sooner. Through the L2L network, Michael was introduced to another man, Robbie Ball who lives outside of Pensacola. This man also visited Michael this weekend which was a nice treat too. I am learning just how much visits mean to Michael and how they help him stay connected to the "real" world. Thank you for checking in with us! Madison and I have enjoyed the warm weather and have tried to play outside as much as possible! We are loving the warm weather a little more than Michael - that is until the air conditioning at the dorms are fixed! Madison has discovered the joys of running barefooted through our grass and she reminds me to stop and just enjoy. We hope you enjoy your week! Heidi