Killing the Giants/All For One

SO MUCH has occured since the last time I had time to write on this thing called a blog.

I feel like I cannot even recap what the Lord has been doing/what has occured. Killing the giants week went well. Over 5800 people were engaged in spiritual conversations and 261 indicated decisions for Christ. I personally got to see six people come to Christ. That was crazy!!! I also reached my goal of sharing with 50 people. We battled rain deluges and all kinds of other odds but we killed that giant. It was personally fun to go sharing with all kinds of different people.

During "Killing the Giants" week, we had very little time to get to know each other. So, the next week was entitled "All For One", we only had two hours of internet between the hours of five and seven, so that is why this has been semi-neglected.

We as women got honored and challenged as we listened to staff women cheer us on and encourage and challenge us at our women's conference. We enjoyed delicious food and great company as we all dressed to the nines and sat down and heard "What I Wished I Would Have Known", "What Has Kept Me in the Race", and "What I Am Learning", complete with a chocolate fountain.

One really cool thing that we did was a group date night with Jesus, where we chose a number between 1 and 23 to correspond with the number of books in the New Testament. Then, we chose between the chapters in that book. From there, we read through the passage and talked it over, came up with questions about it. It was a super sweet time to get together with four other women and talk about the passage and just be real and open and curious together.

After that night, we had mens and women's staff panels where we could ask any relationship type question or really anything we wanted to of them. It was great to hear and gain insight and wisdom from those who had gone before us.

Last Friday, the men from our impact group made us supper after inviting us to dinner through a rewrite of Taylor Swift's Romeo and Juliet. They were awesome. They had the table all set and served us quesadillas and made cake and ice cream, then we played dime skeeball. It was just a really fun night.

The week was great as we spent it well in community with each other. At the end of the week, we played a softball game Students v. Staff. We named our team HAM, which is an obsession of this project in this case ham stood for holy and mighty. We enjoyed a great number of cheers and playing together as one against our staff.

Killing the Giants.....

Hey, sorry for my absence here, it has already been a very busy week. In fact it has been a full weeks since I last posted.

Wed: I started my training for Superfresh. I had to do all this computer training/simulation stuff, and it was intense, and gave me a headache after it was over, but then I got to have Bible Study again with Sarah and we combined with another group.

Thurs: I continued my training at Superfresh, I got off of the computer ½ way through my shift and that was super overwhelming at first, because I had absolutely no idea how I was going to do all that was required of me. However, my trainer was this extremely sweet woman named Jeanette. She gave me a hug the first day that I worked there and just loved on me and encouraged me that I would be good at my job. Then, that night we had another Holy Spirit talk by the one and only Mr. Bob Fuhs. After the worship, I just felt so filled and called to just be silent for awhile, so I went and sat on the church steps for a few moments before people started filing out. I find often the Lord just asking me to be still and just wait.

Fri: I worked a four hour shift at Superfresh and was still overwhelmed with all that I had to do, but it started to seem that I would be more able to handle anything that came through. More of our project family arrived with the quarter students and it started to feel like we were more complete.

Sat: we had impact group suppers as well as a scavenger hunt called “A Taste of Ocean City” Where we had to eat a large sampling from many foods on the boardwalk. Such as frozen bananas, funnel cake, taffy, fries, polish water ice, we even ate sand and saltwater. We also had activities to do, like sing to someone on the boardwalk, play leapfrog from the boardwalk to the beach. We took a picture of a seagull eating a piece of food. Then, we did our normal outreach and went sharing on the boardwalk. At our debrief we learned what the next week, “Killing the Giants” would be all about. We were all asked to pray and set faith goals for the number of people we wanted to have spiritual conversations with, and challenged to think of an evangelism giant in our life and just do it, get over it. Each person on project wrote down the number of people they wanted to trust God by faith to talk to. Our whole project goal was 4596 people. I was up until 1:30 am working on caramel rolls for the next morning.

Sun: I was up at 7:15 to bake the rolls made the night before. We had Sunday school and church, then an outreach in the afternoon, where we even invited people to a tug-of-war competition and then, once the competition was over, we all went out into the crowd and talked to the spectators and participants about Jesus.

Mon: I pulled a six our shift, which was pretty intense, but it was also good I talked a little to one of my co-workers and invited her to our meeting and she came :) I was working and greeted this one woman, “Hello, Ma’am, how are you today?” Her response just floored me, she was like “Are you here with Crusade?” “You guys are always so nice.” What an amazing thing to have such a GREAT reputation, but also somewhat intimidating to live up to. But that was a cool thing for sure.

Prayer Requests:

-That I would be sustained by the Lord this week as we pour out all we are into sharing and asking people about Jesus.

-That the hearts of the people on the boardwalk would be open and ready to hear the good news of the gospel.

-That I would not get weary of sharing my faith, but would continue to trust the Lord in all aspects of it.

-That I would be able to face my fears well and see them as giants that I must get over, not as impossibilities.

-That by faith, I would talk to my faith goal (50 people)

Praises:

-After 2 days our project is ½ way through our faith goal.

-The openness people have to sharing and talking to us.

-The friendships that are building here.

I was reminded last night that God doesn’t see lost people as a project or as anything, but lost and his compassion drives him to send laborers into his harvest. We looked at Matthew 9:35-38

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

.....what will I regret?

So last night I enjoyed my three hour date night with Jesus. At first the thought of an extended Jesus time was just daunting. What would I even do for that long.

Last night I sat on the beach and just watched the waves for awhile. I have been struggling with what it looks like to be crucified with Christ and what it means that my  life is no longer my own.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me." Galatians 2:20

I had been struggling with selfishness and not really wanting to give up my "rights". Yet as I sat on the shore a thought came to my mind. "I should take more pictures." I will never regret taking too many pictures, but I will usually regret not taking enough. Then, I realized that the same was true of my walk with God. I will not get to heaven and say that I did too much for God, but my thought and regret may just be that I didn't do enough. So, that was just a moment where I started to put out lies in my life.

...of whom the world was not worthy...

"Some were torture, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." Hebrews 11:35-38

I came across this passage of scripture recently and was really challenged by it. I am at times so afraid of sharing my faith for the fear of what people will think about me, but I really suffer no fear of being killed, or being sawn in half. the worst censure I could experience is someone telling me to leave them alone or someone's disdain. Another point that hits me is about how these people are described as "of whom the world was not worthy." So often I try to live my life, my Christian life as one that seeks the approval of people first.

Sharing on the boardwalk has been both hard and easy. When I went out sharing with my discipler, I ended getting very disappointed with how few people were on the boardwalk and just the difficulties I was having, but I was able to just be really honest with her about I felt like I just didn't care. I started to pray that the Lord would break my heart, and the last time I went sharing, I found the heartbreaking prayer to be answered. I think that I expected it to be too easy, yet as I had to keep hitting the pavement hearing "no" and "we already did it". A girl Ashley and I did get into two good conversations. Heartbreaking conversations. 

On Friday I went to Atlantic City to celebrate a girls birthday and just got into a great conversation with a girl on the way back. Just about my life and some past hurts. It was really great to just talk to her about them. I am so loved here, authentically. I hope that my wounds from the past are healed in the prescence of Jesus. 

I absolutely loved church once again today! :) I also took part in a theological conversation about covenants lead by one of the staff here, it was seriously great and so thought provoking and intellectually challenging, then I helped make some homemade pizzas, which were delicious!

You are not your own.....

Well, I'm officially employed at Superfresh. So, yeah that's a super-exciting fact. I went back to accept my job that I was offered. I was interviewed at Air Circus, but wasn't called back, so I decided that after taking a drug test for Superfresh, I couldn't turn down a sure thing for prospects.

Then, I hung out on the beach for the entire rest of the day and went swimming and ended up getting pretty sunburned. but, it was fun trying to boogie board.

Then, I had date night with Jesus, where we spend three hours in quiet study. This week is "Setting the Pace" week we talked about what our hearts were running after. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. I have really been challenged in looking at what it means to live my life as it's not my own and to not give any excuses to God about why i can't follow him right now, etc.  The Lord is working on my heart to not just honor him with only my mouth but with every decision and choice that I'm making, and to feel passionately about Christ and his will. I have been so complacent, i can see that now, I just desire to grow....

Last night we were hanging out on the porch and this couple came onto the porch with a very distinct accent asking if this was a hotel. I immediately noted that it was slightly German, so I got up and asked them where they were from. Who knew that the Lord would speak to my German heart by sending to me a German couple, that I got to speak to in German. :)

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Isaiah 52:7  

Well, this Minnesotan young adult, namely, me, has finally been on the beach. Saturday we had our first day of outreach. and it was a great time. Honestly, one of the most fulfilling sharing times I think I've ever had. I got to go out with the lovely Mrs. Lauren Pottenger from UCLA and it was really cool to share ideas with explanations and to learn from each other. We ended up spending our entire 1.5 hours talking to two sisters. Their mom came up to us during our survey and was really curious about what we were doing, but then seemed to melt and be excited that we were talking to her daughters about Jesus... she even went as far to give us hugs and kisses.... :) We went through the survey and then the Knowing God Personally booklet, the women were tracking wonderfully, but seemed to continue to answer our questions about salvation with answers about the things we must do, and the works, and a process. 

We got through the entirety, even read the prayer, and we went back to Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. When I asked them what grace meant, they gave an answer of "God's love" and I explained to them how it's God's unmerited favor, getting what we don't deserve. Like if you were to speeding and pulled over by a cop. You deserve that ticket. Then the car behind you stops and says, give me your ticket I would love to pay it for you. I always love that reminder of what it is that God through Jesus has done for us.

That night, we had mens/women's time and it was so beautiful to look into all of those women's faces and share our hearts and how the Lord is at work among us.

Sunday was church and I just loved it! Seriously! I know that I annoyed the people next to me because I was so excited by EVERYTHING! The hymns and songs that we were singing. The message was from Haggai and it was cutting, but a really good message to hear. How the children of Israel had forgotten why they had gone back to Jerusalem, and how often do we forget what we're here for. How often do we make excuses for why we aren't following Christ or living passionately for our savior.

Today was the job hunt day, and I'm actually kind of overwhelmed by the prospects I have. I got offered a job at Superfresh, have another prospect at the Promenade food court, and I had an interview at Air Circus, so I'll be taking some time to pray about what the LORD has for me as far as a job goes, and which one I should do or if I should wait for one?

Prayer Requests:

woman time: that I would have good quality one on one time with women here

job: clarity and discernment in choosing

that the Lord would work on my heart and I would fall more and more in Love with Jesus

Praises!

The friends that I've made here.

How the Lord is at work here in OC!

The prospects I have for jobs.

The sweet times with Jesus
  

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! :)