A merciful God...

Things on project have been tricky lately. There are still 30 students without jobs and the hunt continues everyday. We've prayed alot to see the Lord provide in big ways. We're trusting Him for that. Alot of students are growing weary and consider leaving. Only one student is leaving as of now, really what it comes down to is funds. Either they've run out of funds to be here and they cannot go on with out a job. A few of them agreed with their parents to have a job in order to come out here for the summer. So now without their time on project is jeopardized. We've been up and down the Boardwalk and all over San Diego. Think of a place and the students have most likely dropped by. So please continue to include this in your prayers. The other hard thing that comes with the lack of employment is what comes with project schedule. There is nothing planned during the day because the students are supposed to be working. In some ways a social bug has flown throughout project. So the dynamics here are hard. Thanks for your prayers.

Time with my girls has been challenging. Its a great responsibility to be accountable for each of their lives in a spiritual sense. I have learned alot. My challenge has come in understanding clearly the areas for growth in their lives and trusting the Lord to show it to them. I so desire for these women to continue to develop into excellent women who worship the Lord with their lives. So pray for discernment as to how and when I should point on these things at all. More than that ask for the Spirit's guidance to use words filled with grace.

The World Vision team is going good for me as well. I love casting vision for the students to see the broader impact they can have the world. As most of you know my joy in ministry is working with International students. So I really want to spread that vision to the students here on project. So many people think they have to be called to go, but in reality alot of it is sending as well. Whether is leading an International student to the Lord and sending them back to their home country, going back with them, or supporting someone to go. My challenge has been knowing how to cast vision in a way that compels people's heart for a clearer vision of what the Lord is doing around the world.

Each Monday half of the staff and students spread out all over the SD area at four different campuses. The campus I go to is University of California- San Diego. The campus is great! Very liberal, but I really enjoy it. There is a large Asian population- mainly South Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. I use surveys on campus as a tool for leading into spiritual conversations. We also have a small booklet called, "Knowing God Personally." Its a walk through the gospel and serves a great visual aid for people to see where they're at. My challenge has been sharing the gospel in its fullest and not fluffing it up so it goes down easy. The gospel is both beautiful and offensive within itself, as it should be. You know the whole Lion and Lamb idea. So Ive been challenged by the truth that the gospel does not always make friends. "Do not think I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" Matthew 10:34. I would say thats the biggest thing I have learned here. For me its the balance of sharing truth in grace. Caring for the person's soul enough to tell them that eternal seperation from God is a reality. So many people here want to say what's true for me, is true for me- so if thats true for you thats cool. The whole idea of "coexistence." Funny though, none of the world religions work together and their means of salvation are different. Knowing Jesus personally is so foreign to religion. I love telling people that I believe religion is dead- to see the looks on their faces. Sharing out here is a challenge, but its where the fruit of the summer comes from in many ways.

Cool moment last weekend. I went to a free concert by Switchfoot in Encinitas about 20 minutes from where I live. It was a charity for kids who are homeless, suicidal, poor, hurting, etc. The main singer Jon Foreman was really excited to play in his home town. Ive always wanted to see them play and this could not have been a better setting. Instead of a million people at a rock concert it was at 4 in the afternoon by the beach with a couple hundred people. They played all their classics including my all time favortie "Dare you to move." I danced my last solo in high school to that song. Its been like a soundtrack head liner in my life. So once again I'm standing on a beach in San Diego and not a dance floor but I'm looking at my life before my very eyes. My favorite words in the song are this: "Maybe redemption has stories to tell, maybe forgiveness is right where you fell. Where do you run to escape from yourself? Salvation is here." It was so great to worship the King standing on His creation and enjoy those words of truth in my life once again. I love my life, because I found it- because I lost it. Feel me?

As always thanks for your prayers and support. Thanks for reading...

The Students are HERE!

Well the students got here three days ago. My girls were anxious-excited and very tired when they arrived. They are go to school in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Their names are Erika, Riane, Liz, and Rachel. I really enjoy each of them and I am so glad the Lord put them in my group. I honestly could not have asked for a greater group of girls! Im learning alot about discipliship and being one who leads well. We had a day to share our life stories with each other after they arrived. It is so encouraging to see how God orchestrated each of our lives and brought us each together on project. Please be praying that I will learn to lead the way Christ did and challenge these girls while they're here.

We went out sharing yesterday. For one of my girls, Erikia, it was her first time to go sharing. We do surveys with people we meet on the beach. There are five different questions that que on to spiritual conversation. We talked with groups of students from Ireland, Japan, and locals here in San Diego. Alot of people were responsive to conversation, but the general concensus was an attitude of apathy about an after life and the results thereof. My growth group girls were great at engaging people even when they were nervous. They had great attitudes!

One prayer request I have is that you would please pray for my health. Ive been running low on energy and fighting sickness and health back and forth. Thanks for that! Until next time...

Summer is here!

Hey friends. Here is an update on my time in San Diego. Its great to be out here again. It feels very natural to be here, almost like I never left. Alot of my friends are here from last summer. Im excited to work along side with them once the students get here. Since I've arrived we've had training, meetings, and had a few events. We spent the day in Tijuana at an orphanage last Saturday. It was great to spend time with the kids there. We had a small VBS for them with games, snacks, a lesson on David and Goliath, and just really enjoyed being with them.

Im staying in a condo with 6 other girls as opposed to the 13 in my condo last summer. Its great to be back on the beach. I love it! The weather is real cold for now. They call it "June gloom." Hopefully it will be over soon.

Im really excited to figure out what my ministry will look like while I'm out here. The girls in my small group will be here along with the other 115 students coming out this summer. Please be praying for jobs for the students. Sea World is not holding out to their usual jobs for the summer. So now were scrambling for jobs for them. Another part of my ministry this summer will be the "Prayer and World Vision team." I'm a leader on that team and Im excited to learn more about what well be doing. I have a huge heart for the nations. Im really blessed to be on this team as part of encouraging the students on project to be informed about what God is doing around the world.

One last thing, we went sharing on campus at UCSD the other day. It was so great! One of the most encouraging times of sharing I have had. I could really sense the presence of the Lord on campus, suprisingly. I met with two girls- one from Korea and China. About 40% of the students at UCSD are Asian! Love it. Both of them were freshman and new in their walk with the Lord. I spent an hour talking with one girl who was really interested in pursuing a relationship with Christ. Very open to understanding the gospel! After that I talked with a kid named Kevin who had grown up in church and definitely knew all the right answers. It was really cool. He's not at a place where he is pursuing a relationship with Jesus, but I was encouraged when he told me this... "I knew you guys were Christians. I could sense it in the way you guys approached me. You can tell them by their love." So cool! The week before we came a group of rebel rousers came preaching "hell, fire, and brim stone" on campus. So the day we were there was randomly the day that all the Christian organizations got together to try and "clean up" the mess made before. They were doing cool things on campus all day and we got to join them. Praise the Lord! Thats been one of my favorite days so far.

Thanks again for your prayers and support to get me here. Im excited to see what the Lord has planned for the summer. Love you guys. Thanks for your prayers.