Although we are into our second full day of week 3's programming, I still think it is okay to blog about week 2 since I did not get a change to over the weekend. :)
Week 2 was beyond challenging...to put it simply. I was extremely excited to meet the youth with a non-labeling attitude...but despite that, connecting with the youth last week was simply put, a no-go for me. I felt like I was barely hanging on to get through the week. Physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion was rampant through me, but God still worked through me and our other staff. Nights when Club (basically youth group for the teens starting at 8:45 pm) seemed impossible to do, God filled me with the energy I needed to play music and give talks...I and the other staff noticed that the talks given last week were phenomenal. I'm not saying that because I want to brag, but out of a sense of awe at God's provision when I barely had the desire to be in the front to speak truth and love into the youth. He provided in huge ways for me last week, and I know many of our other staff would say the same for themselves. :)
A special blog post is to come as soon as I have access to pictures. I was unable to blog about last week over the weekend due to my friends getting married! Randy and Kelsey got married on Saturday, and I had the honor of being in the wedding. It was so great to see the friends I grew up with, and some of my family as well- it never gets old going home and seeing friends and family....no I am not at all homesick!
I hope you all have an amazing week!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Week 1
Tomorrow our first group of youth will head home after an intense week in Sault Ste Marie, MI! I have been blessed and stretched in so many ways this week. It is hard to believe today is already Thursday and tomorrow morning by 9:30 am the youth will be heading home. I feel like a mother bird shooing her babies out of the nest for the first time. I want them to go home, spread the word, share what they've learned, be changed, but part of me wants to keep them here longer...prepare them more for the realities they are going to face at home. But despite my desire to do more with them, I'm giving them over to God...and placing them in the best place ever- His hands.
Getting to know the youth that came here this week has been nothing short of amazing. At first I was so intimidated and nervous....will they like me? Is that even where my focus should have been? Probably not. To be honest, at first I was put off by some of the youth and the attitudes that came with them. I was frustrated- don't they know how much we and others have been praying for them and their time here? Don't they care that one of us is talking right now and that it is not appropriate to be talking? Silly me...I learned a valuable lesson early on this week. One that I've always known but haven't really had to put into practice until this week. People seeking for attention will do whatever they need to get it...unfortunately this looks like acting out in negative ways. It hit me that if someone is seeking attention in a negative way, and I can see they are hurting, or desperately need some love, why should my first reaction to that be negative? I realized that if someone really needs attention that bad, than I should love on them, give them the time of day, and provide something constructive for them to do. I have fallen in love with these youth this week...and I'm sure its something that will happen for the remaining seven weeks of our time in Sault Ste. Marie.
This was supposed to be a somewhat shorter post, but as usual, it ended up being much longer than I intended. Please continue to pray for us. I know that the only reason I made it through this week was by the grace of God and prayers lifted up on my behalf. I've never been so dependent upon God for physical energy and strength before...it is a weired but freeing dependency for me to experience.
A new staff joined our team this week. J from Maryland has been a huge blessing, and I don't know how we operated without him before he got here!
Please continue to lift us up on prayer. Tomorrow morning-early evening will be spend wrapping up the week, and prepping for Sunday afternoon when our next group arrives. I hope you're enjoying the first couple weeks of summer!
Getting to know the youth that came here this week has been nothing short of amazing. At first I was so intimidated and nervous....will they like me? Is that even where my focus should have been? Probably not. To be honest, at first I was put off by some of the youth and the attitudes that came with them. I was frustrated- don't they know how much we and others have been praying for them and their time here? Don't they care that one of us is talking right now and that it is not appropriate to be talking? Silly me...I learned a valuable lesson early on this week. One that I've always known but haven't really had to put into practice until this week. People seeking for attention will do whatever they need to get it...unfortunately this looks like acting out in negative ways. It hit me that if someone is seeking attention in a negative way, and I can see they are hurting, or desperately need some love, why should my first reaction to that be negative? I realized that if someone really needs attention that bad, than I should love on them, give them the time of day, and provide something constructive for them to do. I have fallen in love with these youth this week...and I'm sure its something that will happen for the remaining seven weeks of our time in Sault Ste. Marie.
This was supposed to be a somewhat shorter post, but as usual, it ended up being much longer than I intended. Please continue to pray for us. I know that the only reason I made it through this week was by the grace of God and prayers lifted up on my behalf. I've never been so dependent upon God for physical energy and strength before...it is a weired but freeing dependency for me to experience.
A new staff joined our team this week. J from Maryland has been a huge blessing, and I don't know how we operated without him before he got here!
Please continue to lift us up on prayer. Tomorrow morning-early evening will be spend wrapping up the week, and prepping for Sunday afternoon when our next group arrives. I hope you're enjoying the first couple weeks of summer!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Summer Team!
This is our amazing team for the summer! Please remember to keep us in your prayers as we serve the community of Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
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