So tomorrow I leave for an adventure of a lifetime. I’m so excited!!!  (except for the getting up at 3:00 am part  ) As most of you probably know by now, I am going to be working with the Republican Party this fall. So tomorrow I leave to visit a friend in Indiana for a few days. Then I will go to visit another friend in Minnesota. I will be there for ten days. I’m going to be helping at the Republican National Convention! Woohoo! I’m so excited to have this opportunity. I remember watching the RNC last election (2004) and thinking about how I would love to be there someday. I never thought that it would happen this soon!  I’m leaving the Saturday after the convention to go back to Oklahoma where I will be staying for two months to work for the OK Republican Party until the elections. I know I am going to learn a lot. Please keep me in your prayers for safety ( I will be traveling quite a bit over the next two weeks), and also that I will be willing to take a stand for what is right should I have to face some controversial issues or make difficult decisions. Best of luck to all of you who are starting a new semester at college, especially you freshmen.  Praying for you guys!

Sincerely,

Kikki

Well, let’s see if I can remember all the way back to January. I remember when I first got on the plane for the very first time in my life to go somewhere I had never gone before, to be around people I had never met…I was excited and nervous at the same time.  I remember meeting my classmates for the first time. We got along great from the minute we met each other. And it’s interesting because our stories on how we ended up in Oklahoma are very similar. I actually kind of already knew my roommate,  Jessena Taylor…she was in Western Lit and Theology when I took those classes. So it was neat to be able to meet her in person and live with her for five months.

The first month went by rather fast. We had looonnnggg days. A typical day for us looked something like this:

6:00 get up

7:00 – devotions

7:30 – breakfast

8:00 – 12:00 – classes

12:00 – 1:00 lunch (but sometimes we went over time and had class while eating lunch)

1:00 – 3:30 – classes

3:30 – a break, finally!!

4:00 – 5:00 dishpit…fun.

5:00 – 6:00 supper

6:00-6:30 – dishpit

6:30 – 8:00 – classes

8:00 – 12:00 – homework, get assignments ready (and those weren’t exactly light assignments either…like several chapters of reading, writing speeches and having power points for them)  for the next day, shower, etc.

And then the next day started all over the exact same way…so yeah it was pretty tiring, but I learned so much.

Feb. 4 = the first day of session. I went to the Capitol and got to hear the state of the state address. Gov. Henry ( a liberal democrat) is a boring speaker, but anyways….I got to meet the Representative I was to intern for. I remember that day very clear as well. I remember sitting in her office and talking with her in which she stated “I do not leave my faith on the doorstep”. I would go on to find out that she wasn’t kidding.

March 3 – I’ll never forget this day either. It was a Monday and over the weekend my Representative, Sally Kern, (you may have heard of her) had made it on youtube thanks to someone who had recorded a speech she had given back in January at a Republican meeting in which she spoke out against homosexuality. This person had given the recording to the Victory Fund for Lesbians and Gays who in turn put it on youtube. The next month and a half would be one of the most stressful and learning experiences of my life. From the thousands of hate e-mails that I went through, to the hateful letters that I read, to even some negative phone calls that I occasionally had to take …. to having dreams that Sally was in danger (she did get some death threats…she had a body guard at times too)….it was kind of scary at times and yet sad. But Sally through it all leaned on Jesus for her strength and never said anything hateful back. She is a courageous woman and I am so blessed to have been able to intern for her. Some homosexuals had a rally calling for her impeachment. What was cool to see though was three weeks later after all of this had happened, some friends of Sally had a rally for her….we had 2,000 people show up at the Capitol that day for the rally(the exact number that Sally had been praying for)….it was 100 times bigger than the rally that the homosexuals had had two weeks earlier. And I ended up (for security reasons) right behind her while she was speaking and thus ended up on all the news stations, newspapers, associated press, the Baptist Messenger, etc. Thankfully the reporters didn’t know my name, so only those who know me knows that was me. J

This whole situation has really opened my eyes to the cultural war we are in in this nation today. Homosexuality is far more rampant than I thought and they will do what it takes to silence those who dare to speak out against it. Now more than ever we need Christians who are willing to take a stand for God’s word and speak out against sin.

Other things I learned is just how much being in politics can put a strain on the family. Sally wasn’t only attacked, but also her son, and husband as well. There are also some Representatives who have to stay away from their families for most of the week because they live several hours away. Being in politics is a sacrifice. I also learned pretty much how to do everything that a Legislative Assistant does and actually got to fill in for two of them a few times (like when they were sick or something). I never realized how much work and effort goes into making a bill and getting it passed. It’s a hassle.

The state party chairman for the Republican party happened to stay in the same building as we did. So, through him we were able to do some volunteer work at a fundraiser for John McCain…so I got to meet and have my picture taken with him. We also got to help out at the state convention in Tulsa. That my friends was an interesting experience. Talking about Ron Paul people trying to take over a convention….I’ll never forget it as long as I live….and I won’t get into it any further, it pretty much had my blood boiling the whole day.   We got to help at the banquet for the convention too…this resulted in us getting our picture taken with Dick Cheney…that was pretty much the awesomest night ever!!  We also did some campaigning for U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, and helped with a couple of other Republican events. I got to meet and have my picture taken with Gov. Henry and Mayor John Tyler Hammons of Muskogee (he’s only 19). On the last day of session we got to work as messengers delivering bills etc. from the House floor to the Senate and back. We got to sit right behind the Speaker of the House…it was pretty much the coolest thing ever!! I will never, ever forget my experience there. I learned more than I thought I would ever learn and made lots of friends.

And this is way too long…sorry guys.

  here are some pics.

So here's the view from my window

yeah.....definately a lot different than what I am used too.

My sweet wall.

My classmates Janille and Jessena. We work in the kitchen....washing dishes We designed our own aprons.

Our "graduation" from training. Mr. Beford (our teacher) is on the left. The other girls taught us some as well.

The House of Representatives, Oklahoma Capitol

The Blue Room - where the Governor signs important legislation. We are pretending in this pic

In front of the law library in the basement of the Capitol...yeah I know, I'm short.

chillin in the library

Jessena

Janille is soo crazy, but a lot of fun!

Everything's going well for me. I'm having a lot of fun. *nods* Hope everything is going well with you guys.

So, I leave for the airport in a few hours…I think I have everything. I’m going to miss you xanga. *hugs* I’ll try to visit when I can.

It snowed this week(wed.) First real snow I’ve seen in a year or more. I hope we get more before winter is over.

Oh, and did any of you guys watch the debates tonight? I thought they were very interesting. Apparently some of Obama’s young supporters now support Paul. Why in the world is that? …..Oh yeah, that’s because they both have a lot in common. They’re for change, and against an amendment against same-sex marriage, etc. All of this came out of Paul’s on mouth. I think I’ll stick with Huckabee thank you very much.

Congrats to all of you going on campus this semester. I hope it all goes well and that you enjoy it and learn a lot. God bless!

Miss. P

Do you people ever get like a depressed or sad feeling the day or so after Christmas? I sort of do. I mean once Thanksgiving is over, the next big event(or rather the biggest event) of the year is Christmas. You look forward to decorating the house, listening to and singing Christmas carols, going to Christmas plays and parties, going Christmas shopping, riding through the streets looking at Christmas lights, getting together with family, the food, opening presents, etc....but then Christmas comes and then it's all over in like two days!! Maybe it's just bothering me more this year because I can't really enjoy it like I normally do. Yeah I forgot about getting ready to leave for three whole days,(Christmas at my house on Christmas Eve, with my dad's family on Christmas day, and my mom's family the day after) but my trip was the subject of conversation at the family get togethers.  And so I spent all day yesterday doing last minute shopping and packing, spent today boxing up my stuff and sending it and packing up my stuff that I don't want my sisters or mom to mess with while I'm gone , and am spending tomorrow getting together with more family and friends. This Sunday is my last at my church.....I am not looking forward to it. Oh well, I can look forward to next week though as I don't have pack, so I can spend the week doing fun stuff.

Anyways, I did have a good Christmas. I got pretty much everything I asked for...the dresses, boots, pocketbook, DVD's, etc. It was all good.  Yesterday I bought myself a new digital camera, so I am very happy. Hope you all had a good Christmas as well. When I get a chance I will put of pictures of my Christmas on facebook. Later!

-Miss P.