I'M HERE!!!

After a long, 22-hour car ride, I arrived in North Myrtle Beach around noon yesterday. I drove down with Will, who also goes to UW-La Crosse, and Chandra, who goes to UW-Eau Claire. We made it through the night without stopping (with MUCH help from coffee and energy drinks), even though each of us got about 3 hours of sleep and had a super fun time getting to know one another on the way down. Plus, we drove through the Smokey Mountains just as the sun was rising... such a beautiful sight to see.

Yesterday, I was able to meet a bunch of new people including 4 of my roommates (the 5th is actually Chandra, who I drove down with!!). They are all absolutely wonderful! The heat was a bit of a shocker, but all I need to do is remember to load on the sunscreen, drink a TON of water, and try to cool off in the AC as much as possible. We had a cookout last night for everyone on the project, and it was great to get to know even more people... but there are SO MANY of us here - 97 students plus about 30 staff!

This morning, we started right away with breakfast and our first meeting, spent some time in the Word, and spent a few hours sharing our faith on the beach (which we will be doing a lot of this summer)! I shared with a girl named Kelsey, and we had 3 really great conversations with a Christian mother and her two teenage daughters (very encouraging!), three 14-year-olds who are starting high school in the fall, and a young woman who definitely needed to hear the Gospel. After dinner, we were able to meet with our bible study groups and talk about our spiritual backgrounds. I was seriously blessed with such a wonderful group of five other women. I am so excited to grow with them this summer!!!

Tomorrow, we have another morning meeting and then job hunting in the afternoon!!!

Prayer requests:
1. That God would work in the hearts of the people we talked with today on the beach
2. That God would provide jobs for everyone as we search the next few days
3. That God would continue to work in and through us as we continue our first week here

What Will I Be Doing This Summer?

I've had a few people ask me what exactly I'll be doing this summer, so I thought I would outline the list that was given by the Project staff:

-Solid teaching from the scriptures
-Rich times of prayer
-Opportunities for small group interaction
-Getting an increased vision for the world
-Outstanding training in ministry philosophy and skills
-Leadership training
-Weekly outreaches
-Rich fun times as a family in Christ
-Men’s and women’s development times
-Practical training in communicating your faith
-Many opportunities for Evangelism
-Personal discipleship with personal attention from your staff developer
-Character growth
-Spiritual disciplines of solitude, silence and reflection on scripture.
-Fun--we live only a block from the beach!

I hope that gives you all a better idea of what I'll be doing. Honestly, I don't know exactly what to expect, but I am so excited to see what God has in store!

As I prepare to leave tomorrow (some are already leaving today), I ask that you pray for safe travels for everyone heading down to NMB over the next few days.

3 days!!!!

…Until I leave for North Myrtle Beach!! And 4 days until I get to meet the wonderful students and staff that I will be spending my summer with!

I have raised about 95% of my support for the summer. Praise God! I am so blessed to have such loving people in my life! THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has trusted the Lord to give to me either financially or through prayer… I cannot do this without you!!!

I hope to update this blog throughout the summer so the everyone can see what God is doing in my life and the lives of those in North Myrtle Beach. I will also include various prayer requests to give you an opportunity to be actively involved in the NMB ministry from miles away.

Prayer Requests:
1. That God would prepare the hearts and minds of me and my fellow project students as we pack our bags and travel (safely) down to NMB
2. That God would guide and shape us during the first few weeks as we find jobs and follow our calling to GO

New Beginnings

It’s a bittersweet time—finishing my Sophomore year of college and moving away from my friends to begin a summer filled with new and exciting experiences. As hard as it is to say goodbye to everyone I love here in La Crosse, I can’t help but look forward to this summer. It’s time for me to break off from the things I know a little too well, challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone, and let God take complete control. As I embark on this adventure, I am trusting fully on the Holy Spirit to guide me, give me an eternal perspective, and keep my eyes focused on the reason behind it all.