Hey guys, Sorry I have not posted lately. Since the last time you heard from me we have been evangelizing, serving, and learning and worshiping God. I also got to go on a hike with my squad to get a change of atmosphere. When I first got here I met people with many different backgrounds who desire to serve Jesus. I have had to learn to be open minded and listen to people who come from different backgrounds so I can grow in Christ and understand their views. These past two weeks have been great during teachings. We have learned about prayer, spiritual gifts, conviction vs. Condemnation, and how to approach people from different countries and how they view the gospel. We also took a day and did a recap of the Bible from beginning to end and it was amazing. We had great questions that can be hard to answer. We have learned so much and have gone very deep in learning about the gospel and the role as Christians that we have in it. This week, things have started to make more sense to me and I am grasping a better understanding of the gospel and the role we play as ministry. There is a lot to do and learn and we can never stop growing.
The hiking trip was quite an experience. I have only hiked one other time in my life, and during this hike we went 2.2 miles uphill. I was thankful for my teammates to be with me during this experience. I hiked with 30lbs of gear and when we got to the top we enjoyed the view. I set up my hammock so I could sleep in it and enjoy the view but something came up. As I was going to bed that night I helped a teammate zip their sleeping bag and I dropped my compression bag with my sleeping bag in it. When I realized it, it was rolling down the hill & I began to chase it. It kept rolling as I chased it and hit the cliff, stopped, and then rolled off. Because of this I ended up having to sleep with two of my leaders in a two man tent with a backpack as my pillow in the freezing cold. My word for this journey is embrace. I am going to find joy in every moment. No matter how bad the food is, how wet the tents get, I am satisfied because my joy is in the Lord. In life we may not always be happy but we have the choice to always be joyful. I challenge you to find Joy in Jesus no matter your circumstance.
I have been getting up most mornings exercising and running to get in the best shape I can be in. One of my teammates comes and shakes my tent at 6am every morning and sometimes earlier. Also I have enjoyed learning how to swing dance in my free time. Where I get time by myself I have been praying, reading my word, and trying to have a more intimate relationship with God.
Tomorrow we will be leaving to go work with Samaritans purse for two weeks in Kentucky from the major flood they had. We are going to be gutting houses and spending time with people who have been affected by this tragedy. I have been told this is going to be a difficult and tiring two weeks, so please keep my team in your prayers and pray Christ will move.
