Closing a Chapter

Time to close another chapter, today is my last day of work at N.E.W. (well kind of) I was presented with the opportunity to do work for them again in the near future doing projects from home.

Once again I am filled with mixed emotions.

I am sad about the fact that I wont come into work anymore and see the people Ive worked with over the past 2 months. Especially Nikol, who has been a huge blessing to work with this summer. She started a week or so after I did and has the best attitude and work ethic. She is full of ideas and is such an asset to the training and design team. She also left me PB m&m's on my desk this morning =)I really like the coffee machine here, and the 24 hour gym, and making money (kind of- I spent a lot of it on gas and paying off my car, cant we just all ride pretty browns ones? that would save a lot...)I like swiping my badge to get in and out of the doors it makes me feel professional haha I've met a lot of people here this summer, had some great conversations, and learned a lot. To sum up the deliverable I am handing over today; I helped employ a scalable technology, through our intranet- NEW HR connect, we are launching Oracle PeopleSoft, it should roll out in September. Everyone has worked so hard to get this ready. It is a computer system that will allow employees of NEW to go in and update personal information that goes directly to HR. It allows managers to go in and promote, transfer, report a change request, terminate, etc. My part in helping roll this out was to create simulations, just in time animated help for people to learn how to use this system. So I learned the system and then created about 20 or so captivate tutorials. I am so thankful to have created something that over 6,000 employees will use for a long time. I really like words of affirmation and I recieved this nice email:
"Great Sarah - thanks for all your hard work! You should be proud that you created something at NEW that everyone uses! You made a difference! Sue"

N.E.W is a really great organization that I would like to keep an open door with. Who knows what the future holds for me professionally.

that was work related. NOW, life outside of work.
to say I will miss it would be an understatement. The past two months have been different, but awesome all in the same. I absolutely enjoyed living at the Down's. Mr. and Mrs. Downs are the most genuine people you will ever meet. Definitely gifted in hospitality and servanthood. They have such good hearts and I learned a lot from them. I felt home, I always got excited to get off work and go home even just to have dinner(which was always made, on the table, and delicious) and talk.
I made a lot of friendships this summer with people that have such a desire to learn and know our god. Bible study was amazing, and I will miss it terribly! I feel like everyone in the group is learning, growing, changing, being challenged, etc. I dont know if I've ever had such deep, thought out conversations before in a study. Shout out to Jason for stepping up and stepping aside (like he always prays) and letting our god DO WORK =) I am blown away by the contacts and relationships Micah has made and the people he has influenced and am so proud and blessed to be his girlfriend.


I am excited that I pick up my oldest friend in the world at 5:20 from the airport. I am excited to go to a cabin next week.
I am excited that when I get home, all of my roommates will still be there.
I am excited that Micah comes home in less than a week.
I am excited to go to Florida soon.
I am excited about all the things coming up with Aletheia.
I am excited to continue to see people's lives be changed this year.
I am excited that in less than a year I will have a Master's degree.
I am excited that we are all learning about change and how to embrace it.
I am excited to be surrounded, no matter where I go, with people that want to learn more about our Father.
I am excited that I have so many things to be excited about I cant name them all.

most of all though- I am grateful. I am so blown away by how awesome Yah is and all I can do is give thanks. It has been a great summer, with not one thing happening that I planned for or expected, and it isnt even over yet =)