Where I applied to go this summer!

I'm trusting Jesus to take me there, waiting to hear back!

Agape/For the Sake of His Glory!

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Agape week was really one of the most touching weeks out here as we looked towards saying goodbye to our staff who we love and trusting the Lord to work through us. Monday I got up really early and rode my bike to watch the sunset all by myself, but having to go to work at six thirty, didn't leave me enough time to actually watch the entire thing. That night, Bob talked about the only mark of the Spirit-filled life being fruit. Then, I got to join a friend in celebration of her birthday at Hobby Horse. Let me just say that I think Mankato needs an ice cream parlor hardcore. I know we have Coldstone, but that is nothing like Hobby Horse...plus they have Winnie the Pooh there..so yeah don't mess. I worked through a lot of feelings of inadequacy this week, of not feeling adequate to disciple women, and as I worked through them, it was amazing to have God confirms those feelings and then tell me, But I AM. I AM able to disciple women, I AM able to love them when you don't know how, I know what they need and how to stretch them.

Then, I encountered one of the hardest days I've yet to experience on project. It started at work. There was one lady who pretty much made it her goal to make life miserable for everyone. She was just so rude, and I had to remember that Jesus loved this lady as I encountered her and tried to show her patience and grace. Yet, I never take it well when people yell at me. Then, as I was ending my shift I started to feel very ill. Slightly faint and had a large headache. It was a bummer, because we had planned a sleepover and an evening trip to Cape May for our last action group time with Sarah. I ended up sleeping in my room because I felt so sick. But we all woke up and went to watch the sunrise with our impact group boys.

Thursday was our last day with the staff. It was a good day, our goodbye night started at supper, where we had an agape feast and started to serve each other. Then, Bob gave his final talk imparting upon us some last words of wisdom. Exhorting us to run full speed ahead, in community, then we went back into the gym and people had an opportunity to share what God had been doing in their hearts. About 15 minutes in, Bob and Kim come out with buckets of water and towels and went to our student leaders and washed their feet. Then, it trickled down as my action group leader washed my and the other girls in my study's feet. Then, I wanting to have my lead foot with the women I would be leading be love and service washed the women that I would be leading's feet. Then, we went back into the sanctuary and prayed for our new leaders and the staff gathered in the back, and left.

It is amazing the impact these men and women had upon our life in a short six weeks. How different we all our and the new appreciation we have for them, as we take on their roles. Our schedule has just become more busy. I just finished my first discipleship appointment and it went alright. I have been finding peace and my role and trusting that God is adequate to disciple people even when I'm not. I will spend about eight hours a week in discipleship, 2 hours being discipled myself and 2 hours with each of the three women that I have been entrusted to love. My host family here is amazing. I have been invited to spend as much time as I want over at their house. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time just chilling and reading and even took a dip in their pool.

Prayer Requests:

-That I would take the time I need to with Jesus as I need to have a right relationship before I can even think about pouring into other women.

-That I would have a changed heart and lead my women in transparency and love.

-I would not be overwhelmed by my busy schedule.

- I would continue to build relationships with people here on project.

-I would move towards my coworkers and be intentional about sharing the gospel with them.

Praises:

-Amazing friends that I get to laugh and cry with.

-The way Jesus is using this in my life.

Here in OC 1

Hey There,

I can't even begin to describe how amazing this thing called "summer project" is. I have only been here for four days, and yet I feel like I've been here for weeks. Relationships here were built pretty much upon walking into the house.

Tuesday: I woke up at 4:15 to head out to the airport with my family and spent quite a bunch of that day in the airport. MSP to Milwaukee, and then to Philly. I ended up sitting behind a girl that is also here on project. We were picked up in Philly and I was pretty much instant friends with the other people that I rode to the OC with!

Upon arriving in OC I was bombarded by so many names and faces and people. Everyone here is so friendly and really really outgoing and real. That has been fun. I share a room with one girl and we have our own bathroom, which is not normal, but we are in the same action groups (discipleship).

Wednesday: We had meetings and then lunch with our impact group where we shared our T&F testimony and flavor! Our impact groups are made up of three action groups. We sat through two seminars at the Ocean City Baptist Church, beautiful thing and awesome place. The Lord cut to me right away. We talked about how we have assured acceptance from Christ and yet!

Thursday:We spend the morning looking for jobs and hanging out on the boardwalk. We spend the afternoon working on the Ambassador and cleaning up and the place looks so much better and is starting to feel so much more like home. Last night, we had a sharing time and it was so great. The LORD has truly done a lot to bring all of us here and I don't think that there isn't a person who doesn't have a story about how God has worked in amazing ways to bring them here.

Friday: Today, we had some training meetings and I got a phone call during one of them, which was embarassing, but it was a potential employer calling me back. So, I need to get back to them, but decided that I would update you all first. Also, we got to meet the original pastor that thought of the idea of OC Summer Project. It was super cute, and really touching. We had game night and played all my favorite 'Kato games and I missed them SO much! But it was fun to play with new people!

Prayer Requests

1) Job, I believe that I have an interview Monday.

2) That the Lord would continue to build us here as an authentic comnmunity.

3) We would be open to the Lord's prompting.

4) Tomorrow is our first day of sharing, so pray that would all go well.

I really enjoy it here, so many fun people who love each other and are funny and I am really enjoying myself! :)

 

 

May, no WAY!

22

The number of days until Ocean City keeps dropping! Unlike these MN temperatures which keep rising. I spent two hours just basking in the sun, it was wonderful! Tomorrow starts finals week here at MSU, which leaves me with anticipation and some reflective sadness. I am in GREAT anticipation of this summer and what the LORD will do in and through my life, but I am also taking a peek at what this year has been. I, as is normal have a few regrets. I wish that I would have been able to be involved in more women's lives here on campus, especially on this floor! I know that I will deeply miss all my friends here and will anticipate seeing them all again! We've spent so much time together the last week, playing games so often. It is a cool summer as most of my close friends have dedicated their summer to the LORD and are going on project. Last week at CRU, the students who are going on project were prayed for, and there are 19 of us, that is a crazy number! 

I can't even wait to see how that will impact us as we head back to campus with the training and the growing we'll go through. 

Prayer Requests:

1) Finish Well: 3 Finals this week! :)

2) A heart that is open to the Lord's working and one that sees opportunities

3) A desire to spend time with the LORD (this has been a little difficult for me with a changing schedule)

4) That I will leave all of my friendships on a good foot and that we would enjoy our last moments together before the summer takes us all around the United States and the world.

Praises:

1) Another well-completed semester of college (only 3 more!)

2) Beautiful sunny days that warm my heart! :)

3) Seeing family very soon!

Spring Break

It seems as though, I've already fell behind in blogging' but I felt that there wasn't too much traffic coming here. Yet, I feel tis time for yet another jaunt on blog lane. *said with a British accent it can sound quite cool*

So, the good news is that I have finally stopped this insaneness of not being able to sleep because of my excitement over the thought of Ocean City. It was hard for me to continue on like that with school and everything. I have also made it through the nastiest mid-terms week that I have yet to see. So, I sit in my parent's basement on spring break, while my friends are in Florida!
That's a shout out to them, no jealousy!

So, as I realized that my prayers for Ocean City were answered, I quickly slipped once again into complacency until I was lying unasleep on one of those nights and realized that I had even MORE that I needed to be asking the Lord for. I thought I might share my short list with you.
In fact, I sort of summed them up even for myself.

1) Spiritual Preparedness-
That my heart and the hearts of students joining me on project will be right before the LORD and open to what he will want to do to us through this project. Also that God would through His Spirit begin to prepare the hearts of the people we will be sharing the gospel with.
2) Support
This week I am sending out letters asking people to partner with me, a big step of faith! That people would see this as an opportunity to partner with me in the gospel, and would give. Not because I'm worthy, but because my King is!
3) Job
That I would find a job upon arrival in Ocean City.

These are all things that are testing my faith, as I continually choose to not worry about them, but to place them in the hands of the one who truly is capable to meet all these need, more than abundantly!

I have been continuing in my Beth Moore study and I think what has impacted me the most in the past week, is reading about Joseph. He believed the promise that God gave to Abraham of the promise land. The promise took place 400 years after it was given to them. Joseph could easily have believed that God had forgotten, but he chose to continue on in faith, believing that God is faithful!