You've Got a Friend in Me

For some reason, we checked out like 10 library books, but we leave town on Sunday. We're a little odd.

I'm ecstatic.

(I don't get ecstatic very often.)

You see, I've got a follow-up post for you today from yesterday's post (you should read if you haven't already). And it's much happier - I swear.

You see, I posted yesterday about discovering that a few people really don't give a rip about me. Today, though, I'm turning that 180 and posting about a couple of people that I really care about and that I'd wager have taken a liking to me as well.

Why is this necessary, you ask? Well, for starters, I like it when people like me, and I like to tell others about those people, because they're rockin' awesome. Mainly, though, it was a goal of mine this year (as part of my 111 in 2011) to make a new friend.

And you know what? I one-upped myself - I made two friends!

First of all, though, let me preface all of this with a small side note: though I'm friendly, I don't believe that I make friends very easily. Hence why one of my goals this year was to make a new one! For some reason, I just have a hard time reaching out to new people, probably mostly because I'm pretty content with the number of friends I have (even if I wouldn't mind more).

However, this summer, as I worked at the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Wichita, I had the pleasure of spending a large portion of time with two pretty fabulous people.

Their names? Nicci and Mandy. 

(Why yes, they might very well murder me for this blog post. If you don't hear from me within a week, you know what happened.)

I'll talk about Nicci first.

Nicci is an out-going, friendly girl that I go to school with and that I finally got to know this summer. She spent the summer interning at the PCC, along with my wife and me, and together, we were unstoppable. And not that I'm devaluing the contributions that my wife or I made, but we wouldn't have been nearly as effective without Nicci.

You see, Nicci is what I would call a genius. And I'm pretty smart on my own accord. What fascinates me about her, though, is her work ethic, and her organizational skills, as well as her willingness to try new things and to speak truth to people when they need to hear it. I had the chance to work with her as we worked with multiple couples, and she has a knack for knowing when people need to have their cage rattled a bit. It's something I admire about her.

And now for Mandy (who, at the moment, I don't have a picture of!)...

Mandy was someone we met this summer that works on the STD testing side of the Pregnancy Crisis Center. She's also very out-going and friendly (hence why we became friends), and without her, this summer wouldn't have been the same. She's a social worker, but is willing to serve however and whenever she is asked.

What amazes me about Mandy is the size of her heart. She has an unbridled passion for people and for their stories. She's patient, caring, and always ready and eager to listen to whatever is going on people's lives. I have no doubt that her heart is going to allow her to do great things in this world, leaving a mark that can't be erased. 

So there you have it! These are the two friends that I made this summer, and I couldn't be more excited to know them. They're amazing people and have helped to shape me into a better person in the past few months that I've gotten to know them. I'm beyond thankful to God for placing them in my life. 

What about you? Are you good at making friends? Have you made any new friends lately? What are they like?

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