Autumn in Illinois

Hey there!

    We wrapped up our Illinois CFC last weekend, number 7 out of 10. It was a great, smooth event. I had a blast exploring Chicago with my team and enjoyed spending time with lots of friends in Illinois.
Enjoy the vlog. I got some help from Mrs. Carrion (Paolo's mom) with catching some footage I couldn't usually, so I'm excited to share a bit of the conference experience that I haven't gotten around to before.

On the note of unique foods, I've been celebrating fall by experimenting with concoctions to fit the season. Considering that we're on the road, that's a bit of a challenge (which makes me happy)! Today I figured out how to make "baked" apples in under 10 minutes. Sweet!

Tour is wrapping up, and our team could definitely use prayer for strength and energy to keep going strong.

From Ohio,
Jessica

One Person is Worth......

  Yeah, South Carolina was a great conference. Half our team got what we referred to as the "Intern Plague". It is really special trying to run a conference when you have fevers and congestion.
  Despite the challenge, we managed to support each other as a team. And while I'd prefer to not run a conference on similar under-the-weather conditions again, I was reminded that all the challenges are worth it if the event makes a difference for even one person. Seeing as how my little sister really enjoyed it and was impacted by it, I consider it very worth it. And she was just one person. :D
   I had a blast hanging out with my South Carolina friends, friends from home, and my mom and Jeannine. A few highlights included good conversations with some ICC mentors who are very dear to me, getting to see Clark's house, and enjoying "Low Country Boil" on Pine Island.

   Thankfully, the team is fully recovered and we're psyched for our Illinois conference that is starting today!

Jessica

From East to West

Hey there!

   Scene: After California. Intense travel week.
The Monday after California, we hit the road and had three 12 hour travel days in a row. That Thursday, we got to know the culture of the ALERT Academy in Big Sandy, TX and set up for an add  -on. We had a blast sharing our evening program with the folks there. That was also Wendell, our Tour Manager's birthday! Then we finished our drive back to TN on Friday and got a few days of rest before heading to South Carolina.
It's crazy to think that we traveled from coast to coast. I've learned so much about different cultures. I've also learned that three full days in the car make me go nuts. :P I feel privileged to travel with this team though because we have a lot of fun along the way and support each other even when we're tired.
And because we just celebrated his birthday, shoutout to Mister Wendell for being a fantastic Tour Manager. He is always there for our team. He brings so much energy and inspires us all to live life fully. It's awesome touring with him.
Here's the vlog for the travel week. South Carolina should be up in the next few days.

Loving the Illinois fall,
Jessica

You're invited...to life!

Hey friends!

  We wrapped up our fifth conference in California. It marks the halfway point of our conference tour. Crazy! I've learned so much about living life fully.
  California gave me a big picture look at the lessons I've been learning. We were reading Love Does and our tour manager, Wendell, invited us to jump, fully clothed, into our host home's swimming pool as an object lesson for the idea of jumping into life and taking invitations to live life fully. While we were in CA, I also counted my 1,000th gift (a list of all many of the gifts God gives me). I realized that my gift list is a record of all the life invitations I get. When I recognize the little things as God's grace, life is just so full of joy.
  California was pretty awesome! Enjoy the vlog:

With love,
Jessica

Join the Detective Hunt?

Hey there!

   For my Colorado vlog, I decided to give you a sneak peek into my Young Communicators for Christ track. I realized anew at this conference just how amazing these young speakers and leaders are. I saw incredible transformation in them during our two short days together. I can't wait to see the leaders they continue to grow to be!
Another one of my highlights was seeing the Heidenreichs who were previously part of our ICC chapter in VA. It's cool to see how they've stepped into new roles and opportunities. And getting hugs from people I love and miss always warms me up.

We start prep day for CA tomorrow. Tonight included kalamata olives, avocados, celtic salt, gorgeous tomatoes, and some incredible homemade gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes. If that's any sneak peek of how this event will be, I'm more than a little excited. :D

All the way from CALIFORNIAAAAAAA,
Jessica

I left my heart in MINNESOTAAAAAAAA!

Hey there!

I absolutely loved Minnesota. There was a whimsy sort of beauty about it that reminded me of the golden hour of the afternoon where the imagination celebrates. In fact, I feel like I'd love to move there and work at Caribou Coffee (yes, I now fully accept the title of coffee-lover), but that's probably just one of my far-fetched dreams. It's okay, Colorado and California, I have room in my heart for your beauty too.  

Minnesota was a fabulous conference. The community in Minnesota welcomed us and cared for us so well. Miss you all bunches already!

Here's a fantastic highlights video that Caleb and Michael put together!

The CFC Experience | Minnesota from ICC on Vimeo.

We're heading into the Colorado conference now. Prayers for another fantastic event, connections, and energy would be greatly appreciated!

Also, if you're interested in trying to make one of our awesome Communicate for a Change programs, I would LOVE to see you at one! They are at 7 pm on Friday evenings and are fantastic for all ages. The locations and dates are:

Sept 24-26 Colorado Springs, CO   Heart of the Springs Church   2726 N Union Blvd
October 1-3  Fresno, CA Trinity Southern Baptist 4890 E.Holland  October 15-17 Lexington, SC Riverbend Community Church 1015 Corley Mill Rd (Greater Columbia)
October 22-24 Graylake, IL Christ Church Crossroads 1350 Route 137     October 29-31 Chagrin Falls OH Parkside Church 7100 Pettibone Rd
November 5-7 East Brunswick, NJ  Lighthouse Christian Fellowship  Hardenburg Ln  November 12 -14 Davidsonville, MD        Riva Trace Baptist Church       475 W.Central Avenue

From the heart of Colorado,

Jessica

Frame It Up and La Alligator Place

Hey there friends!

The last few weeks have been crazy, so this vlog is back from the week when we packed out of the training center and headed to Louisiana. 

If you want to see the finished product of what my film team created, you can watch it here. I had a great time working on a team with Michael and Paolo. Michael was the Cinematographer, Paolo was Director, and I was 1st Assistant Director (basically the person who keeps the show on the road). I learned how to edit on Adobe Primiere! In 48 hours, we created the scripts, filmed, edited, and had a sharable product.
The Louisiana conference was a blast. I really enjoyed trying the new foods, their warm hospitality, and the way our team was flexible despite ever-changing mic situations and sudden sickness for one teammate.

From the midst of ALL the corn in Iowa and Nebraska,
Jessica