The End of the Summer

So, I was wrong in my last update. I have realized that I am awful at keeping a blog. 
Well, as you probably figured, I am back in IL now and my summer is officially over. School is back in session. It is now September. 
The second part of my summer was amazing. I loved every minute of it. 
Our high school group went to Joseph City, AZ where we stayed at a Foster Home called Naomi House. This is a place where Navajo foster kids go. Our group stayed on site at the Foster home and we also worked there. This was the best because we got to hang out with the kids all day long. They would wake up with us in the morning and pretty much go to bed at the same time we would at night.

We worked on the ministry center at the home and painted the entire building with some other odd jobs throughout the week. 
Our students really bonded together that week and we grew as a team. I feel like it was a week that I really formed close relationships with the girls in our group. 

For our day off, we went to the Grand Canyon. This was amazing. Everyone has told me that I would be amazed when i saw it, but I never could have been prepared for what I saw. It was beautiful. God is huge! Daniel, Matt and I were able to break off from the group that day and walk along the path together, which was great. We were able to debrief the trip a little and even just talk and laugh with each other. We walked down one of the paths down and we didn't even get nearly close to halfway before we had to turn around, but it was a hard trip back up, but also totally worth it. 
After the trip I had 3 short weeks before I had to leave for the summer. Those weeks went by so fast. We had a girls night, d-groups, lunch dates, dinner parties, Saturday night hang outs, wave pools, movie nights, and so many other fun things with the students.
The last harah of the summer was at a beach house in Galveston. We took the students down and just enjoyed our last night together. 

It was extremely hard for me to leave. The relationships that I built this summer are relationships that won't go away because I am many states away. 
God taught me many things throughout this summer. I learned about how to be a better youth minister. I learned the importance of a good team dynamic, which I could not have asked for a better one. I learned how to jump into relationships quick and go deep fast. 
I came into the summer with many doubts about my ability to teach. God taught me that I am not the one who is speaking and that he is the one in control of the words. I learned that I am my biggest criticizer. and I need to hear the words of everyone else. 
I learned that I have been telling God what I want him to do with my life and not giving it completely up to him. I need to believe that God knows the plans for my life and I need to trust that he is in control. 
My next step is my last year of college. I am a Senior Resident Assistant at North Park University and I am continuing to stay super busy. I am graduating in May and after that is up to God. My plans for my future are still a little up in the air. I have a few options and I am trying to figure out where it is God wants me to be. 

I wanted to thank you all for supporting me a praying for me throughout this summer. I have truly felt your love. I pray that God blesses you as he did me. 

UPDATE

So its been a while since I last updated. 

We keep saying how this summer is like a sprint. We go from one event to another, which makes my life super exciting. 

I absolutely love what I am doing. 

My last update asked for prayer for our Intermediate school missions trip. That trip was truly amazing. We worked with a group called Mission Discovery and we helped to fix up some houses in South Texas. While we were there we also held a vacation bible school for the kids in the area. That was what I was in charge of. I loved that. I met one girl named Viviana who I hung out with a lot and we really had a good time. Our group really connected well on our trip. 
Then when we got back we had a week where I went home and celebrated my grandparents 50th ANNIVERSARY!!! And then we started a week long Summer Safari, which is a day camp for the intermediate schoolers where we would serve in the morning and then go somewhere fun in the afternoon. We did a lot that week, such as we collected canned goods for Interfaith Care Ministries and we helped a local ministry with some outside work, we worked with a home for the mentally ill. We also went to a water park and a fun center. We went to the zoo and the beach. This week Matt and I also led a bible study on the Superheroes of the Bible. This was my first teaching experience and I think it went really well. 
This past week we have been preparing for our missions trip which we leave for in less than 9 hours. 
We are going to Joseph city AZ where we are going to work with the Naomi house for foster care children. I will again be leading VBS for the kids in the area and for our day off we will be spending it at the Grand Canyon. 
Please pray for our trip. Please pray for safety and strength to get through the week. Each night we will be sharing God sightings, So please pray that God will show himself in many different ways and that we are able to pick out the places that he is working in our lives. 
I will hopefully update when I get back! 
 

Our Group

Here is the group that is going to South Texas! 

 

First Big Trip!

 These past couple weeks have been amazingly busy but incredible. I have been really trying to build relationships with the students that I am working with. I have really been able to connect with many of them and I know that by the end of the summer, I am going to have long lasting friendships.

Lock-In

This past two weeks we have had a beach trip an exhausting lock-in, with Putt-Putt Capture the flag, board games and movie night, the first week of TNT(tuesday night thing) which is the Intermediate School weekly group, D-Groups which is the High School weekly group, roller skating, and make-up on the boys.

Roller Skating at Saturday Night Hang out

TNT (Tuesday Night Thing)

TNT Kickoff Pool/Pizza Party

 This church absolutely loves and completely supports our youth program and they do everything to help it be successful. That puts me in a great place to intern. I am learning a lot about how to do ministry, about who I am, about working on a team and about stepping out of my comfort zone. I have had good ideas, made mistakes, needed forgiveness, and succeeded in many different things. It has been a great time.

D-Groups

Tomorrow morning our Intermediate school group leaves to go to Hidalgo County, TX where we are going to be working with an organization called Mission Discovery. We will be fixing up houses and giving a Children's Bible School for the kids that live in the area. 

Please pray for our trip this week. Please pray for safety in our travels and at the work site. Also pray that we would all learn a lot from this experience and help to be Salt and Light to the people around us. 

 

Week One

Week one went AMAZING!
This week we have been planning and preparing for our summer. Most of the students I am working with get out of school next week and that is when the summer activities actually start, so the other intern, Matt, Daniel the director or student ministries and I have a lot of work to do to get ready for that to happen. 
Tuesday we spent most of the day talking about the summer and what we are looking to get out of it. We also started brain storming for what to do this summer. 
Through doing this I now have a much better understanding about what I am going to be doing and how we are going to do it.  
That night we went to the Astros/Dodgers game at Minute Maid Park. 

As you can see, it was a beautiful night, even though the Astros lost. 
I got my first set of official business cards. For the picture I blocked out my phone number but look at technology these days. My business card has the iphone scanner so that people don't have to type in my phone number, they can just scan it! 

Then we had the last couple days technically off. 
Yesterday I went to the college bible study that they have over the summer and I am really excited to have it to go to this summer to be a place where I can be fed and poured into. In ministry it is so important to have a place like that. 
Then today some of the students asked me to come over for lunch and volleyball. It honestly felt really good for them to think of me to invite! 
I also got to Skype with the girls today. It was a needed time to see them and talk with them a little. And take funny pictures! 

Today I realized that for one of the first times in my life I am not looking forward to something really. Don't get me wrong I am definitely looking forward to certain activities throughout the summer, but I am in the place where I know that I am supposed to be. I totally can feel God telling me that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life and my summer. I don't need to be looking forward to something, I need to be living in the moment and living out what God has called me to do. 


Please pray for the students as they head into their last week of school which is finals week for most of them. Pray that they have rest when needed and that they prepare for their exams as much as necessary.

First Official Day

 Today was my first official day of work. This weekend I have been hanging out with the students at any function that they have had so that I could meet them and start building relationships right away. 

I have truly felt God holding my hand and showing up in small and giant ways. Yesterday I met some of the junior high kids and we had a huge water balloon and water gun fight, and the best part of the day was they were leaving and a couple girls looked back and asked me if I was going to be around at TNT, which is the next gathering. When I told her I was going to be around all summer her face lit up. 

When people ask me why I want to go into youth ministry, that right there is a big reason. Just being present in a student's life can show them that someone loves them and someone truly cares enough to spend their time with them. 

I feel so blessed that I get to be one of those people and get paid for it! I get to have water balloon fights at work!!!

 As you can probably tell, I am loving it here is Texas! (Don't worry Mom, I will be coming home in august!) I can't believe I have only been here for a weekend! This summer is going to be an amazing experience! God has already worked in me so much and I JUST STARTED! 

Please pray for my team, Matt- other intern, Daniel-director of student ministries, and I that we build in communication and work well together, so that God can work in us and through us. So that we can be signs, to the students and parents and other members of the community, pointing them to God. So that they can see how God is working in their lives.

I'm Here!

I made it to Texas! I got in yesterday at noon! I got picked up in a large pickup truck and then went to eat some BBQ with some of the staff from the church. I knew for sure right away that I was in Texas! 

I got a tour of the church and met my host family, who are very sweet! Then last night I went out to a sushi restaurant and played games with some of the people from the college group. 

My first day overall was great. Like everyone has been telling me, it is very hot here, but it is great! I know I am going to really enjoy it.

Tonight I will meet some of the students and I start work on Monday! 

Please pray for the students of the ministry as they are ending school and transitioning into summertime!

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

 I am 7.5 hours away from sitting on a plane! This past 4 days has been spent at home preparing for this crazy adventure I am going to have. God has truly blessed me with a family that has supported me unconditionally. I have felt encouraged and loved beyond what I could have imagined, and I haven't even left yet. 

 I have spent the last couple of hours frantically packing and making sure my bags weren't too heavy and that I have everything I will need. 

  I said goodbye to the girls tonight and it was hard for all three of us, but I also realized that technology these days has made it so easy to stay connected in their lives this summer. Through Skype and email, I will be able to talk to them daily and still be a part of their summer.

 I am so excited to meet everyone tomorrow! I cannot believe that this time is already here! Time flies when you are having fun! 

Please pray for me as I am traveling tomorrow, especially on little sleep! Also, please pray for the transition for the youth group as well. I am only a temporary person in their lives. Pray that I will be used in the ways God needs me and that I remember that I is not for me, but it is for God that I am going to Houston!

A Week Away

Thank you so much for being interested in being part of my prayer support team.

I am a week out and I am getting so excited. 

I wanted to just give some back story on why I am going to Houston and what I will be doing.

I need to do an internship for my youth ministry major at North Park University on the north side of Chicago. I applied to multiple churches and I felt a huge pull to Clear Lake Presbyterian. It was one of the first churches that I pursued and the one that I had at the top of my list from the beginning. 

After a few weeks of applying and interviewing, I was offered the position and accepted it right away. 

In Houston, I will be the female intern which means that I will be a mini youth pastor for the summer, leading the female students of the youth group at Clear Lake Presbyterian. Another intern and I will be learning and growing together to plan and execute the summer programs. 

I leave next Thursday, May 19.

At the moment, if you could pray that I am able to take some time and prepare my heart and mind for what I will be experiencing and learning this summer. Please pray that I will release my anxieties and worries to God and let Him guide my summer.