Time for an Update!

Hello!!

It feels like it's been forever since I left for Chicago, but at the same time I can't believe I'm already done with two trips. So much has happened in the past three weeks, and as I'm back home for a few days I thought you guys would enjoy a little update. (warning: I wrote A TON, because there was nothing I could possibly leave out)

The day after I arrived in Chicago, we drove to Baraboo, Wisconsin (Devil's Lake area) for some intern training. Talk about some intense, challenging, and encouraging times. I was reminded of the need for and beauty of community. As interns, we had to work through a ton of initiatives that tested our leadership styles and skills. It was really hard and frustrating at times, but the great bonding that happened between all of us was so great. It was truly amazing to see 11 different people from all over the country with different personalities and life stories come together as such a strong team because we were united in our purpose. What a picture of what the church should be like! We are all created differently, yet our purpose of glorifying Christ holds us (or should hold us) together as one body. It was so encouraging to be around a ton of people who passionately love God and are committed to doing anything for Him. The reason I most love being involved with LeaderTreks is the chance to work with some truly inspiring people. Another great thing about intern training is the honest evaluation we went through. I learned a ton about myself and both my strengths and weaknesses. And I seriously needed that. My eyes were opened to some areas in my life that I need to open up to God and let him improve.

One thing that I was extremely challenged by is how little time I have spent in the Word. The reason I have lost my focus so often and turned to worldly things is because I have not worked on storing up Scripture in my heart and letting it transform and renew my mind. Phil Krause, one of the LeaderTreks staff, has an incredible knowledge of Scripture; he can pull out a verse for pretty much any situation. He said that he works on memorizing one piece of Scripture every two weeks and that ever since he's started doing that he's noticed how much it has improved his life. That's what I want. I want to experience the transforming power of Scripture in my own life. So I have set a goal for this summer to memorize a different piece of Scripture for each trip, and to continue this once the summer ends. It's been really cool so far.

As staff, we all memorized Matthew 9:37-38 during intern training: "Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Then, my fellow intern, James Futrell, encouraged us as staff to memorize Scripture together during our time in Arizona.
The first week was Colossians 3:16-17: "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Our second week was James 3:17: "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

It has been awesome to have this Scripture in my heart as I've interacted with others. I have already started to notice some fruit from this, so it will be really cool to see how much more God works as I immerse myself in his Word.


We roadtripped from Chicago to Arizona... it was long, but a good time of bonding with my fellow staff. Once in Arizona we had to get all prepared for the students who were coming 2 days later. It was really interesting to see things from the intern side rather than the student side. I have loved being an intern so far. I love the chance to have meaningful conversations with the students I meet and to encourage them to reach for their potential. It's been hard at times to refrain from jumping in and showing them how to do things. I have to keep reminding myself that leadership is a process and that I had to go through that exact same process they are now experiencing and that I've grown so much from it. It's been really neat to watch students grow on the trips. As they are challenged, they really step up and take ownership. You can see the confidence build in them throughout the week, and they become more vulnerable and spiritually aware. Now, obviously, this doesn't happen with every student. But it is so encouraging to watch the students who do grow a ton. That's one of the most rewarding aspects of my work: seeing students realize that God has created them to fulfill his will in their own unique way, and that by resting on his power they can do GREAT things, even though they are young.

We got some good work accomplished. Painted the back patio area of the church, so it looks very nice now. Also painted the front steps and sidewalk with a sealant so that the rain wouldn't deteriorate it. Built a retaining wall around the basketball court because all the dirt has been running off and eroding, so we were able to do something to help them keep it from washing away. The kids in the Navajo Nation LOVE basketball, so that court is a huge ministry area for them. We also did some concrete pours to help with water runoff so that the sidewalks wouldn't get muddy and dangerous and so that the foundation wouldn't erode from runoff. Our final project the very last day on the worksite was to pour the foundation for a new church about 12 miles away from where we had been working. It was so physically intense.. we had to hand-mix over 50 batches of concrete in 4 hours, but we did it! It's truly amazing to know that thanks to some of our work, there will be a church soon in an area that is hugely unreached and broken and deeply in need of the Gospel message.

The two weeks of VBS were also very fun. Getting to know some really, really sweet little kids was so fun, and to watch their faces light up as they got in the vans to come was so heart-warming. A lot of them really don't have that much to entertain them. There are a lot of absent or abusive parents in this area, and SO much poverty. It really feels like you're in a different world out there. So a lot of these kids just want to get away from their houses for awhile, and we were able to provide them with a safe, fun escape where they got to be surrounded with Christ's love, which they may never experience at home.

Overall, my time in the Navajo Nation was extremely challenging and definitely stretched me. I'm still trying to process a lot of what God taught me and what he's just beginning to work on in me. I have a few days at home before my next trip, so I'm hoping to just get to spend some alone time and listen to the Lord for awhile.

I currently have a HUGE prayer request: My last day on the worksite, I started out with a cough that only intensified with the cement dust and sand flying everywhere, and I ended up losing my voice for the most part. I thought everything would improve once I got home, but I've felt really sick the past two days. Wedding festivities begin Thursday, and the wedding is Saturday, so I would really love to get well before that so I can fully enjoy it and participate in everything. Also, on Sunday I fly to Montana and we start hiking on Monday, so I would really love for my body to have a lot of rest and refreshment before all that starts. So if you could just pray for healing and renewal, I would really appreciate it. Thanks guys!