Another World

As we walked into the apartment complex we were overwhelmed. The sights and smells reminded us all of times spent overseas. It was like entering another world. Then the people, oh, the people. As I walked up the cracked sidewalk wondering what to anticipate I barely had a thought before I saw her arms reaching. With a smile from ear to ear, laughing, there was Tika holding up her arms to me for me to pick her up. She is a spirited little one. She quickly asked me to sit down and then climbed on my shoulders directing me to then "RUN! RUN!" 

These kids, they need love. They need to see Jesus in our hands holding theirs, in our shoulders carrying them, in our feet running with them, in our laughing together.

(ABOVE: Grace and I holding babies! Stopping for a breather after running with Tika!)

AY Summer Spectacular

Each of our sites are unique in ministry. Not all of them will be working with refugee communities. However, all of them are working with kids, and it is such a crucial point for the kids to experience genuine affection and to have fun freely!

I am hoping (with the support needed) to meet with other sites this summer and be able to encourage and serve our leadership teams and report back with what amazing things God is doing! 

Atlanta, Summer Site

It's begun!

The Adventures Youth sites are locked and loaded. The Spirit is moving like wildfire! The teams are arriving and taking charge of the ministry. It is amazing to look back to January and see where we have come!

I was able to be in Atlanta for the first part of this week helping run the first week of the summer project with youth groups on the field there. I knew that my time would be spent alongside Bri and Josh, mainly serving the leadership team we hired to run that site all summer. However, I didn't realize how much LIFE was there. Silly me, perhaps, but I didn't realize how important it was for God to gift me with actually seeing this. 

(ABOVE: Our AY team having family dinner amidst preparing for the summer! Aren't they NEAT? L to R: Sara Hansen, Bri Rene, Cody McCullah, Josh Rene, Adam Coleman, Jimmy McCarty.)

(ABOVE: These are all of the groups I've been working with to send out this summer! Over 110 groups and over 2600 participants!)

I have spent the last few months setting the groups up (along with the AY team) to go out this summer and guess what...

IT'S HERE! This is what our team has been fighting for and working towards! It's BEGUN! And the best part was (and is), it was (and is) SO filled with the Spirit and the Love we have been covering it with for months through prayer. Atlanta is rocking awesome!

* By the way, I know I've not blogged here much, but it's because I spend most of my writing time here. 

The Changing Season

It's almost 6 months into my 8 month apprenticeship at Adventures. I've been mainly working behind a desk, and talking to youth pastors who plan to send their groups on trips this summer. Adventures Youth is not the department I might have chosen for myself back in January. That's not said with any tones of regret, it's actually with a feeling of relief and thankfulness. It's actually encouraging because I know that my leap of faith is clearer now and it is SO GOOD!

Thank God I left this one up to Him, because I am to the point (again, and not for the first or last time) of recognizing that I really don't know much. 

Yes, it would have made sense to go overseas right away, take a fancy trip to a third world. It would have made sense to stay at a school as a teacher. It would have made sense to work in a creative position within Adventures. 

That all would have made a lot of sense.

God doesn't really make any sense sometimes.

But if I'd chosen on my own what I'd be up to these past 6 months I'd have missed out on all of this:

(ABOVE: Coloring with the kids during Adventure Camp VBS!)

(ABOVE: Soccer with the kids during Sports Camp!)

(ABOVE: Appalachia Project Leader, Lucas, spending time with Jama, goofing off!)

(ABOVE: Swinging on the swings together with my new favorite sweetie!)

(ABOVE: Prayers over our sites. Through paint and words. The prayers are coming to pass!)

(ABOVE: Josh and Bri [and their uber blessed baby due in July!] and I get to help run these sites!)

SO AWESOME, right!? I know, it's a blessing to see the fruit of what we've been fighting for!

Up and Coming...

In July I will need to visit with Appalachia, Atlanta, and possibly Chicago and St. Louis. Will you help me get there? Will you help serve these communities by sending me? Will you help serve the hundreds of participants going out by supporting me in my role of preparing and sending them out?

I still need $3000 in order to complete my time at Adventures. In order to send others out and to serve the teams by visiting their sites, I need this financial support as well as prayers and encouragement.

(Please click the "Support Me!" button on the left if you would like to give!)

Prayer Requests:  Thank you for praying! Thank you for reading this, you are such an encouragement! 

1. Please pray for financial provision. I cannot stay on staff here without raising financial support. I am relying on God to bless you through giving, whoever you are that wants to share in this blessing of the summer, I am praying for blessings and provision over your life even now. Thank you for prayerfully considering!

2. Please pray that I would grow deeper in understanding of how to articulate the rescue that God has given me, and the pursuit of my heart. That I would understand it so fully that I can then share more clearly with others just how much God LOVES them.