Being out in Naknek for 5 weeks was an experience of a lifetime, one I’d gladly take again, but knowing Naknek, and the people there, it’ll be totally different! My three main highlights were 1) my spiritual growth while I was there, 2) the friends that I met, 3) the live broadcasting!
The spiritual growth to me was the most precious thing of all. While I was there I was asked to share my testimony, while I did, I had to search my heart to find what was really there. So I learned to grow so much, because God and I got to talk a lot! But this was also my first time away from home where all my phone calls consisted of was, "how are you, yeah, my day was great, how’s the family? Can I talk to Dad." Yes, we did elaborate, but it just wasn’t the same. So hardships really came up and when they hit hard, it was God and God alone that could hold me in his arms. No matter how much I tried to prepare myself that it would be hard without mom or dad there, it still stung a little. But I wouldn’t change it for the world!
My 2nd favorite was the people there. I had 2 roommates. No, this wasn’t my average day apartment. I had, the radio station lobby then about 3 yards down a hall way to your right, was where I lived when I didn’t have the board or office work. So I had my 2 friends, Roberta and Christine, and then 3 other people in 2 different apartments; Rhonda and Russ Olsen (R&R as we like to call them) and Jeremy Cole. Although it wasn’t always your fairy tale of how perfect it was, we still had fun. You could almost always hear laughter from one room or the other. Life was good.
Last but DEFINITELY not least, is the broadcasting and radio station itself. Oh was it fun! I recorded the programs that we put on for a day, and when I got that down well, it took about an hour tops. There was a lot of patience that went into that job, which was good for me, because patience isn’t one of my main gifts. So I did that the entire time, but for the first 3 weeks that was my main job. The training with the microphone and actual radio broadcasting was very interesting. Some of the mistakes would have made you laugh so hard. My Dad had started telling me before really saying good-bye "slow down Cassie, so they can understand you, okay?" It was actually great advice, but I’m still waiting nervously for the recording of me doing a broadcast to come to my house!
So all and all, I had a great summer, no, it wasn’t perfect, but it was fun. The little things made such an impact, the way the village excepted me like I was one of their own, was just awesome. I left part of myself there, and I can’t wait until, Lord willing, I go back next year!
