Believe it or not, this was really hard work. But, it was really cool knowing that even though we wont see the fruit produced from it, we had a role in producing it.
Highlight #4: Getting to talk to Jason
Jason was pretty much like an open book for me and Lindsey. We had the opportunity to talk about all kinds of things and it was so awesome to learn from him.
Highlight #5: Praying with Ryan
When we worked in the forest, we had a group of boys with us every day. These boys were awesome and I hope I never forget them, especially Ryan. Every night I prayed for every person I met on the ranch by name. While I was praying, Ryan, who is 16, stuck out to me the most. It was probably because Lindsey and I had an opportunity to talk to to him a little bit about college and stuff. I think he was under the impression that he wasn't going to be able to do anything significant in this life. Lindsey and I tried our best to encourage him and help him to see that he can do anything he puts his mind to. The next few days Ryan and I had brief interaction and every time we talked I felt super happy and like I was supposed to be talking to him. As I continued to pray for him, God laid on my heart that I should pray with him. I told God he was crazy and that I couldn't do that. He knew better than that. I prayed for an opportunity and told God that I would not leave the ranch without praying with him. When Friday rolled around, I knew that this was the last opportunity I was going to get. To be honest, I didn't fee like working Friday; I was tired, I didn't feel good, and it was cold. However, I put my big girl pants on, and did the work I came to do. Towards the end of the morning I saw Ryan working on a section of forest by himself and I knew that this was it. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for. So, I asked God for the words and for strength and walked up the hill to where he was. We began talking about small stuff, like how I was lucky because I got to go home the next day and he had to stay here. Then I asked, "How does it happen? How does the change take place?" He began to tell me that he just knew that he couldn't end up like his father. He couldn't put his family through the things his dad put him through. He knew that God has something better for him. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do, he just knew that he wanted to help people. He even thought that maybe he was called to be a youth pastor, because he knows what it is like to overcome the hurt and keep a Christ at the center. It was inspiring to hear this. He then asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him about the calling I feel God has placed on my life and the little things God has revealed to me. Then, I said it, "Ryan, I hope you don't think this is weird, but I have praying for you by name all week, and God has placed it on my heart to pray with you. Is that okay?" He said, "Yeah, sure" So, I reached out for his hand and we prayed in the middle of the forest. After we prayed he looked at me and said thank you in the most sincere and genuine way I had ever seen. It looked like he was about to cry, and I know I was about to cry. Then he told me that no one has ever done that for him before, or cared so much, and even though he doesn't know me very well, he knew that the things I told him I wanted to do, would be done. That meant so much. We worked and talked for a little bit longer and went to lunch shortly. I walked away from that conversation with more joy in my heart then I had EVER felt before. Ryan has touched my life so deeply, and I don't even know if he knows that, but I am sooo thankful I had the opportunity to meet such a fine young man. That night, we went to a VBS performance and I looked for Ryan when we got there but I couldn't find him. After the performance he spotted me and came over to talk to me, Lindsey and Cory. We had to say goodbye but he thanked me again and gave me a hug. I told him I'd be praying for him and that I hope I see him again one day. Again, I left feeling soo joyful. I think that praying with Ryan was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I don't know why, but every time I think of him and think about praying for him, I smile and thank God for letting me know him. Please pray for him and for his future. He is amazing and even if I don't ever see him here on earth, I'll see him in heaven (:
And now, for a few random pictures I took
This was the view from the front porch of the house we stayed in.
What no sleep makes you look like. We had to leave Prescott at 2:30 am for a flight at 6:00 and we got to Montana around 11:00, to the ranch around 2:00 pm, and I didn't sleep until around 1:00 am. Good times.
We baked 30 dozen cookies!!
The plan was to take a picture everyday...we failed, but this is day 2!
I'm going to include a few things I wrote down in my journal while I was there
6/5
The ranch is beautiful. I already love it here. It is so calm and peaceful. I think we have one of the best views. I see green all around me, rolling hills and mountains topped off with snow. It is so fresh here, so pure, so beautiful. As I sit here, I feel so at peace. I'm not worrying about the things going on at home or anything of that sort. All I care about is drawing near to God this week and serving. I want to give all that I can give to these people because I know the work I'm doing and the work they're doing is for the Kingdom of Heaven; my unshakeable inheritance. Thank you Father for your beauty. Even though it's great here, I still can't wait to go to heaven and everything will be beautiful beyond my wildest dreams.
6/7
I am tired! Holy smokes they worked us hard! But it was good. Today I met Ryan, Troy, Isaac, and William. I had a great time talking to these guys. I pray God gives me another opportunity to talk to Ryan. I like him a lot and there is something special about this kid.
I love this place. I love what God is doing here. I love the heart's of the people here. I love that every part of my body hurts right now. I love serving. God is good!
6/11
I prayed with Ryan today!!!! Thank you God for giving me the opportunity! I'm still so full of joy and pure happiness! Thank you for giving me the boldness to pray with him and for giving me the words! I can't wait to see him in heaven! Today was just so wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Thank you for their church and for how alive and united they are. Thank you for Mitch and Kotchie. For Adam, Brenda, Lauren, and Abbie. This trip was amazing and I give you all the honor and glory for all that you have done and will continue to do. Thank you for my team, my church, my life. Glory to God forever!
Week 2 - UCYC - June 13-18 - Middle School Camp
This week was awesome! We had 46 kids go to camp with our church; the most I can ever remember. At first it was a little overwhelming, but by the second day I had every kid's name down and slowly began building friendships with them. The theme of camp was "Frames" and the text that was focused on was Phillipians 2:3-11. It was so awesome to watch the kids learn and to be a stepping stone for their learning process. Small group time was one of my favorite times because we got to split up and talk. The girls in my group were awesome and such a joy to be around. They pounded me with questions about a ton of things but God gave me the wisdom I needed to answer almost all of their questions. It was awesome!!
Some of my girls!
Pretend Cory is in this picture and you've got the leaders
This is Grahm aka Teddy. I stinkin adore this kid!
Now, for the highlights
Highlight #1: 24 kids giving their life to Jesus
Wednesday night we talked about the Cross. Matt, the speaker, gave one of the best messages on the Cross I've heard. After the message, we watched a video that was just really raw; it was the truth of the cross that wasn't sugarcoated. After the video, Matt encouraged the kids to go find a leader and talk to them about whatever it was they needed to talk about. Danny, Cory, Lindsey, Caleb and I lined up against a wall, and kids just started coming up to us..it was amazing. That night in church groups, 24 kids raised their hands when Danny asked who had made a decision to give their life to Jesus. It was amazing.
Highlight #2: 10 out of the 24 getting baptized the next day in the pool
12 of the 24 said they wanted to be baptized the next day in the pool, but only ten were able to because two of the kid's parents couldn't come. Lindsey and I dunked the girls, and Cory and Caleb dunked the guys. Participating in the baptism of so many kids on one day was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
Highlight #3: Hanging out with a kid named Ryan
Ryan's heart is extremely hard. He is from Phoenix and was sent to camp by his parents, with a church he's never been too. We did our best to invest in him, and I think by the end of the week we were able to show him that people do truly care about him. One of the best things that happened this week when it comes to things with Ryan was on Thursday afternoon during the final Color War challenge, The Amazing Race. Ryan was chosen to participate in the carpet ball portion of the race. He had been playing all week and pretty much dominated everyone who tried to play against him. When it came time for him to play during the Amazing Race, he dominated and gave the green team the lead that we needed in order to win the whole thing. Seeing the satisfaction and pride that radiated from Ryan was amazing. He had done something and succeeded and felt truly proud of himself. I will never forget the smile he had on his face while tons and tons of kids came up to him and gave him a high five. It was awesome!
Highlight #4: Quite time with Karis
Karis was one of the girls in my small group and she is so precious. Almost every morning Karis got up with me at 6 to spend time with Jesus. I was able to learn a lot from her and see her heart. I feel like she is going to do really great things for the kingdom.
Highlight #5: Watching Middle school kids worship
I love watching people worship God. I think it is one of the most beautiful things. So, being able to watch these kids worship every morning and every night was so amazing.
Highlight #6: Baptizing my little brother
This didn't happen at camp, but it was a result of camp. I baptized Gabe Sunday, June 20, 2010 at my home church. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time and it finally happened. Another one of the best days of my life! Love you Gabe (:
Week 3 - June 20-26 - L.A. Mission Trip
This week was probably the most eye opening week of the three. There were times I was extremely uncomfortable, times that I was overwhelmed to the point that I just wept, and times that I felt more joy than I thought I was capable of. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Sunday Night: Prayer Tour
When we got to CSM (Center for Student Missions) we had like 20 minutes to bring our stuff in and eat before we had to leave for the Prayer Tour. On the Prayer Tour, Allie, our totally awesome leader, explained to us all that we needed to know about the sites we saw along Skid Row and downtown L.A. We stopped at a few different places and prayed for the needs of these places. During the drive, the word injustice popped into my head and it stayed with me throughout the week. Driving through Skid Row was the hardest part for me. I came extremely close to crying in the van, because it was almost too much to handle. The streets were lined with tents, people sleeping on cardboard mats, and people sleeping without blankets. There were a few people who weren't sleeping at all, they were just sitting there, totally helpless. When we finished driving through Skid Row, we drove into downtown L.A. The change was soo drastic. I couldn't believe the extremes of what I had just seen. One block I was in extreme poverty, and the next, extreme wealth; the balance is so unhealthy. The last stop of the tour was in front of the City Hall. Allie told us the story of City Hall, and how it represents the city. It was really cool hearing her heart for the city. After we talked for a bit, we all chose a place in the parking lot we were in and laid on the ground. As I was laying there, I began to cry. All I could think about was the injustice, the brokenness, and the hurt that was all around me. I prayed while I wept and instantly felt the Spirit comfort me. I felt that God wanted me to know, that even if I can't see the work that is being done, that doesn't mean work isn't being done. I walked away from Sunday night knowing that I was called to pursue justice.
Food: Indian food. Good stuff!
Monday:
L.A. Mission
Our first site was at the L.A. Mission. This place is awesome! They provide a place for the homeless to shower, eat, and even go to school. The girls were separated from the guys and we did data work. When we finished, Danae started looking up famous people. She found Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and her grandpa haha it was a lot of fun. After we did that, we had lunch with the workers and got to watch a video about the L.A. Mission. Pretty neat stuff.
Little Tokyo
We had our first devo here. After our devo we got to hang out in Little Tokyo and goof off for a bit.
Door of Hope
This place was our "Anchor site". It is a safe place for abused women and their children to stay. We went there everyday and loved on kids from 2:30 to 5:00. While we were there we got to help with their VBS week. It was so much fun hanging out with the kids and watching them learn about God. It was really hard to say goodbye, because these kids were just so special and so much fun. You could tell that they had seen things that their innocent eyes shouldn't, but it didn't change how special they were.
Griffith Observatory
This place was awesome!! You could see practically all of L.A. even though there was a ton of smog. We went there to have our debrief for the day and to pray over the city.
Food: Armenian - good stuff! probably my favorite!
Tuesday:
Project Angel Food
We made meals for people with HIV/AIDS and for people who cannot cook their own meals. We were on our feet for like 4 hours but it was so cool knowing that we were helping so many people out. After we prepared and wrapped the meals we got to deliver them to people.
Free Night
For our free night we went to Hollywood and we had a blast! Andy took like a million pictures in front of Capital Records, Jessica ate the biggest piece of pizza ever, went to the walk of fame, and we went to the Kodak Theater. The Kodak Theater was probably my favorite. It was soo cool!
Yogurtland
We were introduced to yogurtland and like it so much we went there three nights in a row! Good times
Wednesday:
L.A. Food Bank
We sorted through a ton of boxes and got a really cool Spoon Pen!
Nature Park
This place was really cool, because it was kind of like a little oasis in L.A. We had lunch and after that Gamy gave his testimony. When he was done, we split up and spent some time with Jesus. This time was so necessary for me because I really needed to quite down my mind and focus on why I was there.
Food: Thai! Good stuff!!
Thursday:
Midnight Mission
This was one of my favorite ministry sites. We had to wake up super early in the morning so that we could come to this place and serve breakfast at 8. This was the first time we had real interaction with homeless people and we served over 600 men and women. I made it a goal to smile and say hi to everyone who came to the line. Some didn't even respond, a few looked back at me, and very few looked me in the eye. I realized that day that homeless people come in all shapes and sizes. I think we all have this preconceived notion about homeless people; we think they are one gender and one race. This thinking is entirely wrong, because like I said, they come in all shapes and forms. I was shocked to see some of the people walk through the line. One guy in particular looked like he was about 20 and he was wearing normal clothes. After we served everyone we ate breakfast and went on a tour of the place. It's really awesome, because they provide free showers, bathrooms and a place to sleep. Inside, they have dormitories for the men enrolled in the program and provide schooling for them.
City Hall viewing place
We went up to City Hall which has the highest observatory place in the city and just prayed over the city for about an hour.
Meet-A-Need
We were given 5 dollars and told to go and find someone on the street and meet there need. I was in a group with Gamy, Jess, and Andy. We met a man named Reyes and took him to McDonalds because he wanted a soda. He talked to us for about 45 minutes and it was really cool to hear his story. Kent mentioned to us on the way to L.A. that a lot of homeless people just want someone to listen to them and I realized how true that was while we sat with Reyes. It was awesome.
Food: Ethiopian food. Disgusting! I took like two bites and couldn't handle anymore. blah!
Friday:
My favorite day!
Mexican Pastries
We went to a Mexican Pastry shop and bought a pastry for ourselves and one for a man we would soon meet. We went to Home Depot where a lot of Latino men stand outside and wait for work. Clay, Teller, and I approached a group of three men and offered to share our extra pastry. They all accepted very sincerely and talked to us for a bit. Clay left Teller and I by ourselves and when he did another man came over and joined us. Luckily, Teller had an extra pastry he had bought for himself so he was able to give it the fourth man. This man also kind of acted as our mediator. He understood english the best and was very friendly. We talked about their struggle as they looked for work, about their families, and laughed as I tried to remember spanish from my sophomore and junior year of high school. They weren't laughing at me like making fun of me, they were laughing with me as I completely butchered everything I tried to say. When it was time to go I asked if it was okay if I prayed for them and they said yeah, so I did. After that, we shook hands with them and our mediator friend gave me a hug. It was pretty neat!
Mount Vernon Nursing Home
I met the sweetest little black woman ever named Mattie Williams and I hope I never forget her. Mattie and I played bingo together and got the opportunity to talk. At first our conversation was a little slow because we were more focused on bingo, but as time progressed we were more interested in learning about each other than bingo. She told me about how her and her husband met, all about her children, and life now. I asker her if she had lived in L.A. her whole life and she looks and me and says, "Honey! Can't you hear the twang in my voice? I'm from Mobile, Alabama!" haha it was soo funny!! She asked me about my life and I told about what I feel God has called me to. I realized then that she was a Christian woman so she understood my heart and it made it a lot easier to talk to her about the decisions I make and why I make them. After spending time with Mattie, I realized that I want to hang out with old people and hear their stories
Lunch Search
The night before we were told that we needed to pack a lunch, but when lunch time rolled around Allie gave each group 5 dollars and told us that we were to look for a homeless person and take them to lunch. I was in a group with Wil, Danae and Teller. While we were walking, Wil told us that we didn't have to wait for him to pick someone because God doesn't just talk to him, and after a while someone stood out to Danae. He was a little old man (89 years old) who barely spook any english. Despite the language barrier, we learned that he was leaving for Mexico in two days and that he was in very good shape. He was doing exercises for us and everything! One thing that stuck out to me was that he kept thanking God for us. He would point to the sky and then to us and say the spanish word for God. It was really neat!
For the second part of the lunch search we took the lunches that we packed the night before to Perishing Square and looked for someone to give it too. I was kind of having a hard time finding someone but then I heard someone say, "It's over there" so I approached the man (don't worry, Danae and Teller were like 10 feet from me so it's not like I approached a man all by myself) that said that and asked him what he meant, and found out that he mean the city. This man's name is Michael, A.K.A. Michael the Affirmation. Michael is a Christian and when I approached him he had his Bible open. He asked me the month and day of my birthday so that he could find my verse (He's known for this! haha) So, Michael talked to me for about an hour and I just listened. I was uncomfortable for parts of the conversation but I did my best to stay focused and really understand what he was talking about. He had recently suffered a head injury so a few things were fuzzy, but for the most part things were pretty smooth.
Dockweiller Beach
At the end of the day we went to the beach to have an affirmation time. So, we basically went around the circle and told each other something that stuck out to us about them that week. It was really cool to hear what everyone had to say and to hear their heart. At the end, Wil was talking and the whole time he was talking I was praying and praising God for everything. The cool ocean breeze was so refreshing and I had just witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets while the moon was rising. I felt God's presence so much that it was overwhelming. It took all I had not to start crying while Wil was talking, because like I said, God was just all around us and it there was no way to deny that. While I was praying, I remember telling God that I wanted to pray out loud. Then, Wil said that we were going to pray and asked me to pray. How cool, right! It was the most Spirit led prayer I have ever prayed in my life and as I did then. I give all the praise, honor and glory to God! After we prayed, we had like ten minutes to just hang at the beach before we had to leave. I walked closer to the ocean and stood by myself the whole time. While i was standing there I started to weep and praise God even more for everything that he had done in my heart, my group's hearts, and the hearts of everyone we came encounter with. I also realized just how incredibly much I am in love with God. I pray that I never, ever forget that and that I never forget the joy and peace I felt as I stood on the beach and watched the water ebb and flow. I wish I could explain in words how I felt that night, but I can't. However, I pray that one day you will experience a moment like this on your own. God is good!
Food: Nicaraguan. Delicious!
I'm sorry for the grammatical errors, the rambling, and the parts that don't make any sense! I pray you were blessed by this, and that God gives you opportunities to encounter him.
peace and love.
