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^Korey and I as the cheer squad for a softball tourney
^Leading songs with Korey and Taylor
^Yes, we finished off a 13-pound watermellon between 4 of us
^Nate and I on the beach
^Yes, I have campers, too.
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| 'ello, 'ello!
Let's see... my summer? I spent the first couple weeks working and hanging out with my beautiful roommates in Winona. I was suppose to head to Buffalo for 10 days on May 21st, but Nathan fell over 100 feet hours before I was suppose to leave. I spent a few days in the hospital with him, and in Winona packing up his stuff, then went to Buffalo for like 3 days. I love people in Buffalo. It was much too short. I headed back to La Crosse to stay with Nathan again so his parents could go home after living in a hotel for a week. (By the way, he is doing well. He just had another surgery last Friday where they did a skin graph; taking skin from his thigh to cover the open wound on his foot from the swelling. Send him a little love if you know him, though. I know he gets bored during the days sometimes.) I went to Camp Omega in Faribult, MN on May 31st just exhausted, but excited.
Camp Omega is amazing. We are on a penisula, we have a pool, and the staff is amazing. In 10 days of staff training we spent a lot of time preparing the Bible Studies (we each lead each week - we don't have speakers come in, all the teaching is up to us!) and becoming united as we played all the camp games. We also went on a canoe trip, built a fort to sleep in and just spent a lot of time laying around and falling in love with each other. No kidding. Pictures when I see you.
My first weekend was with a girl named Kristin. We had 8 6-8 year olds for 2 nights. Very snuggly, very cute girls. My first full week of counseling was with Craig. We were at an Outpost (which means we play large group games with main camp, but we make our own food over a campfire, and we have no electricity) with 4 boys and 4 girls. Craig is a crazy 21-year-old from Alaska who loves songs of tragety and herbal tea. He's going to be a good friend.
Then last weekend was my first weekend off. Friday, after the staff meeting I drove to Duluth to meet up with my family. Saturday I ran my first marathon. Goodness, it was a humid morning - but the crowd was so encouraging. It took me awhile - about 5 hours - to finish the 26.2 miles, but it was fun. Do it sometime, it's an amazing experience; it's so much more than just a road race!! It reminded me of that Hebrews verse of like "Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us..."
This week I'm living with an old couple (and yes, an adorable old man!!) and another counselor, Meg. There are four of us in Richfield running a Vacation Bible School from 9 to 3 MOnday through Friday. It's been a good time so far. I was selected the driver, and so I've enjoyed the control. Tonight I got pulled over, though!! We were at the Mall of America and decided to drive around before going to our host homes. Supposedly I drove through a Parking Lot that was being watched by cops because they've been having problems in the last fews days. Camp may not find out about that one.
That's about it - I'd love to hear back from each of you, and I will in turn keep you updated. Much love to you all!!
Laura | | |
| camp is a goooood time
Feel free to send some love. I will write back:
Camp Omega
Attn: Laura Pallesen
22750 Lind Ave.
Waterville, MN 56096 | | |
| Read this. I'm the girlfriend:
Bluff fall leads to difficult rescue
By Brian Voerding / Winona Daily News
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Winona Fire Capt. Kim Bartelson was nearly on his way to a softball game in Rollingstone Sunday morning, expecting a tranquil day after hours of fighting a fire that had gutted a rental home in Winona the previous afternoon.
But, as he headed for the door at 10:30 a.m., his two-way radio crackled with a report that a man had fallen more than 100 feet from the east side of the Sugarloaf bluff.
Bartelson, who lives near the bluff, drove straight to West Burns Valley Road where he met the man’s frightened girlfriend near the city water reservoir. The couple, who are both in their early 20s, had been hiking along a trail near the bluff face when the man slipped and fell, the woman told him. She and Bartelson climbed down to where the man lay.
Fire Capt. Kurt Lossen arrived on the scene a few minutes later. He had slept just 15 minutes after fighting the same Saturday fire with Bartelson and 17 other responders. He followed the same path the couple had taken to the bluff face and looked down toward a small clearing, filled with rocks and brush, where the man was laying face down.
Bartelson and two paramedics from Winona Area Ambulance were attending to him.
“It was a tremendously long fall,” Lossen said, adding that the man had appeared to roll another 40 feet after the fall. “I didn’t think he was still alive.”
The man’s head and face were bleeding, and his jaw and right leg looked broken —“pretty messed up,” as Bartelson described it — but his eyes were open, he knew where he was, and was more worried about his girlfriend than himself, thinking she also had fallen.
The 20 other firefighters and second two-person ambulance crew who had responded set up a pulley system from the spot where the man fell, after realizing it would be too difficult to haul him up through the woods.
Lossen rappelled down the cliff, where Bartelson and others had secured the man in a type of secure stretcher designed for lifting. Lossen went back up the cliff with the man, and six responders lifted the pair over the top at about 11:30 a.m.
“He was screaming most of the time when we rappelled back up,” Lossen said. “That’s a good sign; we like to hear that. When they’re quiet is when we start to worry.”
Several responders walked the stretcher back to the ambulance on West Burns Valley Road, six or more lifting at a time, struggling to keep it steady on the narrow, rocky path.
The man was taken by ambulance to Winona Health around noon, where he was airlifted to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. The ambulance service and hospital have not released the man’s name or condition, citing medical privacy laws.
Bartelson returned home about 12:15 p.m., weary from the effort.
“Of course, I missed the softball game,
but we had a successful rescue,” he said. “The high-level stuff is one of those
things you train for, but it isn’t that often you get to do it. It was a great feeling to get down and get the patient out of there.”
It's been a long few days, but it's going to be a longer summer of recovery. Pray for Nathan Higgins if it crosses your mind. This guy is pretty precious to me.
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| Brr! The sun makes outside deceivingly cold. However, I'm okay with this because I am here at work from 9 to 7... my last day for the summer! It's been a good day so far, but I'm stoked to get out of here. I'll miss the staff, but also the patients. Our pre-visit chats usually end up in more than just chats; these people are amazing, and are so willing to open up - maybe it's the desperation in health (mostly Lyme and Chronic Fatigue). In fact, I paused just now in writting this entry because one of my favorite patients came in and hung out with me for a good 45 minutes - uh, I love this job!
Kendra, I think I understand what you were saying when you spoke about this unquechable "lust for tomorrow". I'm hoping to soak up as much Winona as I can until I leave for Buffalo on Sundayish. And to me, Buffalo is just saturated with good lovin', so I'm stoked. Then it's off to camp for three months to share my excitement about this awe-inspiring Jesus I know with a bunch of Lutheran kids! I'm just loving life right about now. It's been a hard year, but it has kind of forced me to treasure the little beautiful things in life. And I've noticed that when I spend more of my time noticing beauty, life just seems to reveal how romantic it can be.
Karen Vrchota (my doctor), Karen Trickett (my mentor) and Rachel Pallesen (my mother/best friend) have turned, or, are turning 50 this year. This are proabably the three most important older women in my life. Man, 1956 was a good year; I would describe all three women as "roaring lambs". Although I have yet to read the book I stole the phrase from, I think I understand it; all of these women are delightful, gentle ladies, but are not too soft. None of them are afraid to tell me when I am being ridiculous and they will change their current situation to be better, but they are not Fem-Nazi's. They are a good in-between. And they are wonderful. I hope to still be in love at 50.
And, oh man, tomatoes are soooo good.
I think that's about it. | | |
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