Final Internship Post

Greetings friends and family,

So the internship has officially

ended. Wow, now that I look back

I realize how amazingly fast it

went by and yet how much was

learned from the entire experience.

In the last 2 and 1/2 weeks a LOT

has gone on. My class has gained

and lost students yet again, there

has been quite a bit of drama

between the interns, a field trip

to the Vicksburg Civil War Museum,

and a lot of preparation for the

closing banquet.

The closing banquet went really

well. It started with an intro from one

of the students then a prayer by

another. Then the four arts classes

got to share what they had learned

throughout the summer. The theater

class went first and did some improv

drills and I was thrown in last minute,

man do I not like speaking in front of

people haha. Then the dance class

went and did a dance. Then my class

was up. My fellow teacher Miss Emma

gave a little introduction and then

the fashion show began. They all did

amazing. We spent tons and tons of

time practicing and they nailed it.

I am so proud of them. Then after

they each got a sentence to share

about what they had learned, I

almost started crying. And then I

was given a few minutes to kind of

preach about being made in Gods

image. It was an amazing experience.

After the arts each class had awards

to give to their students, that was fun.

Then that was it. We said our good

byes which of course was hard.

The next day all the interns took a

road trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana

to go to a wanna be Six Flags/

Hurricane Harbor. It was a really fun

time to relax with the interns and not

use Mr.'s or Ms.'s. Then we spent the

night in Baton Rouge, and today we

were able to hit up a mall for a bit then

make the 3 hour drive home and now

we are back.

This experience has been so amazing.

The lessons that I have learned I will

keep so close to my heart. There are

no real words to express what I went

through here to be honest. Dr. Perkins,

while in Redondo Beach last weekend,

was asked by my friends how I was doing

and Dr. Perkins said "I'd love to tell you

he was doing great, but he isn't. Christian

is suffering more then he ever has before.

He is living in the ghetto, working for

people who have been raised in the

ghetto and he has never experienced

anything like this before. But since God

is His solid rock, he is succeeding". And after

hearing that I realized that most internships

are involving working in an office and

getting practical experience in the work

place. But this internship through me right

in the middle of the lions den and the

only way to survive was to rely completely

on God. I learned about how to deal with

my own as well as others pride. How to

be more flexible. How important it is to

trust God. I learned about how unique

God made me and that I should not

strive to be like someone else when He

made me this way for a reason. And

above all, He gave me an increased

heart for the lost. I get so caught up

all the time in my own little South Bay

world that I forget about the pain,

suffering, racism, and social injustice

that is destroying the lives of people

in Jackson and all over the world.

This summer has been the hardest

experience of my life. But without God,

my amazing family, my darling Elizabeth,

and my friends, I could not have made

it through.

Thank you for all the prayers and support.

You are such a blessing! I love you all!

And am in love with Elizabeth Hild :-)

God bless

~Christian Cannon

Internship Pictures 2#

Internship #5

Dear Friends and Family

I am now halfway through week 4.

Only 2 and 1/2 more weeks to

go. It is very very exciting stuff.

Camp has been going great.

Our classroom has actually lost

5 girls who were all in the same

girl scout troop together, as for

why, we are still not quite sure.

But after losing them we gained

3 new students.

Class time is a little boring at

times, but what class is fun all

the time? Come on!! But we have

a few fun little things. At the

beginning of every class session

I read to them a chapter from

The Magicians Nephew which

they are enjoying. We also have

a 'thinking chair' which is the

equivalent of timeout and so the

kids all get a verbal warning,

then the thinking chair for a set

time, then they go to the director.

If they are being bad or punished.

And for fun, since every girl in

my class LOOOVES Justin Bieber,

my rule is that if anyone

says that name they are in the

thinking chair! So thats a little fun

thing our class shares together.

Outside of camp has been really

great too. I have camp everyday

from 7:30am-5:30pm so it gets

tiring but nights and weekends

I usually have noooothing to do

which at times, most times, is

lame but God has been

challenging me to dig into His

word and build relationships

with the other interns here. To

learn about them and their

beliefs and such. Iron sharpens

iron.

My time with Dr. Perkins himself

has also been amazing. He has

such a way of taking huge issues

such as poverty and breaking it

down to something so simple as

issues in the family. He says that

if we mend the family, we end

poverty. And the more he explains

it, the more I see, he is 100%

correct. We have had many good

talks, some about pride, some

about how to better the camp and

relationships with the kids, and

a lot about social justice. I am

learning so much while being

here.

One thing, since I have written

last, that I have become so

grateful for, is the mind of a child.

For example a girl named Zoe

was sitting next to me on the

way to lunch and she grabbed

my hand, started bending my

fingers and touching all parts

of it and asked, "Mr. Chris, how

did God make a hand? Did He

draw it? Or did He just know?"

and I almost cried and realized,

wow, God, I question so much

of what You do in my life, and

ask the question 'Why?' too

much. But this little girl

answered it all, God just knows,

and He just does! Nothing else

needs to be worried about.

Another kid named Kristian

today in class, started rubbing

the hair on my legs, kind of

random but I was fine with it,

then he said, "Wow, God made

you so different, yet special"

and again, I realized how right

he was. And it was an amazing

message to relay to the kids,

that even though my skin is a

different color, that God loves

us all the same and He used

that difference to help break

down the social barriers we

are struggling with all over

the world.

Well that is all I have for today.

If you think about it, pray that

I be intentional with everyone

I meet these last 3 weeks. Whether

it be with the campers, the interns,

and anyone I meet or have met.

Special thanks to all those who

have supported me financially,

I wouldn't be here without you.

And special thanks to those who

have been praying for me and

keeping in contact. My amazing

family of missionaries, my darling

Liz, my best friend Nick, and Wal

Mart. I love you all and miss you

so much, except Wal Mart!

God bless

~Christian Cannon