Still Walking

Well, it's December 7th. This time last year, I was still working on my Summer Project Application.

When I have hard days, I like looking back 6 months or a year in my journal just to see how far God has brought me; to remind myself that He is good all the time. I wanted to share some notes I took  this summer when our project director, Bob Fuhs, gave a talk about our new operating system, the Holy Spirit.

Part of my journal entry: Thursday June 9th, 2011.
"Don't live off the fumes of past victories of Summer Project. Summer Project doesn't change us. It's not about what's going on around me---it's about what's going on within me. The power of God changes us."

I feel so blessed to have Project friends here in Sac and also in Chico. Last week, I was able to spend a few days in Chico and it's crazy to think that when we're together, we could be any where else but Ocean City. Here's reality: I am a Sacramento State student and we are approaching finals week. It's coming up fast. Five days fast. Life is busy and if I'm really honest with myself, I don't take enough time out of my day to recharge my spirit with His Word.

The power of God has changed me. He will continue to change me until I meet Him someday in Heaven. I am blessed beyond measure. Let us not forget that this is about what He does inside of us, not around us.

Janae, Me, Katelyn, Kelly at Bidwell Park

Chico, CA

OCSP Reunion

Well hello there! This weekend, I've had the opportunity to come to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois for our Project reunion. It has been two months since we've been together and it's weird to think that our time apart is almost equivalent to the time we spent together.

These past two months have been filled with transitions, wrestling with the Lord, celebrating blessings and His goodness, schoolwork, hours with CRU at Sac State, and a whole bunch of other things. The lessons I learned on Project were just the tip of the iceberg. I have had to continually remind myself of what it means to be gentle, patient, kind, slow to anger, full of grace, righteous, intentional, and all other characteristics of Jesus. It is so good to come back to be together with the people who understand where you're coming from when talking about Project withdrawals. Plus, we've had the chance to worship together, explore Chicago, and share what God has been doing in our lives, campus, and families.

Today at church, we learned from Matthew 20 the difference of having a heart rooted in merit versus having a heart rooted in grace. Do I live my life expecting God to reward me abundantly? Is salvation enough for me? Am I grateful for what I have or am I envious of the way God blesses those around me?

I thought it was a great way to refocus my thoughts for the coming of the rest of my semester. What is my motivation? What am I expecting? How does this relate to the Gospel? Am I willing to surrender to His plan for my life and give up the plans I've created for myself?

Here's the thing: no matter how many miles separate us, our friendship is eternal because of the grace of Jesus. One day, we will all be reunited again, all 100 of us, worshipping the Lord. Nothing will be as sweet as coming together in Heaven. I still expect to keep in contact with others but having 60 of us all together in one place again is unlikely. Luckily, the Lord is faithful and we still have so much to look forward to.

Steps of Faith

We had 6,326 spiritual conversations; 3,096 Gospel presentations; and of those Gospel 

presentations, 394 people decided to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior!! 

Obviously, there was so much more to Project than just the numbers---but these are not numbers. Each step of faith represents a person-God's child. It is by grace that we are saved and are able to share this gift with others. 

The transition home has gone smoothly and school starts on Monday! I hope to keep a blog going through the school year. Why stop now? 

Titus 2:11 //For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.

We Came to Leave

Well, its my last day on Project and the house is a little somber. Most students left early this morning and another ten of us leave early tomorrow. The last few weeks of Project have been sweet to say the least. But this is the lil nugget we've been remembering: we came to leave.

We have been equipped with so much knowledge and experiences. If we stayed in this bubble, we would not be faithful with these experiences. We came to Project in order to leave and head back to our campuses to make an impact for the Kingdom. How cool is that?

It's 5:14pm and we're leaving the house at 3am. Peyton flies out at 6:20am, Nate and I at 7:44am, and Kevin at 8am. I think Eggert will be driving us to Philly. PS. I'm still not done packing. Typical!

I have yet to cry about leaving, and that really surprises me. This is what I'm holding onto: The Lord is incredibly beautiful and incredibly faithful. He will never stop pursuing my coworkers or any of us on Project. If we are unable to see each other before Heaven, we will still be able to be there for ETERNITY praising our Savior. That's real hope.

I land in Sacramento around 12:30pm tomorrow and I move straight into Jenkins. I am so stoked to dive straight into training! It's going to be exhausting (plus I caught a cold this weekend), but it'll help with the transition home. Please be praying for safe travels, my staff, and Jenkins residents. This summer has been a blast and I've learned so much. Thanks for your support....it's meant a lot to me!

This is the last song from worship last night. It really encompasses OCSP 2011.

Changed

Aaron Niequist

In Jesus’ name I’ve been changed, I’ve been filled, I’ve been found, I’ve been freed, I’ve been saved!

In Jesus’ blood I’ve been loved, I’ve been cleansed, And redeemed, and released, rearranged

But how can I show You that I’m grateful? You’ve been so generous to me. How can I worship more than 

singing? And live out Redemption’s melody.

I have been blessed – now I want to be a blessing I have been loved – now I want to bring love I’ve been invited – I want to share the invitation I have been changed – to bring change, to bring change

In Jesus’ name we are changed, we are called, We are chosen, adopted, and named!

In Jesus’ blood we are loved, we are healed, We’re forgiven and free of our shame!

We want to show You that we’re thankful Flooding Your world with hope and peace Help us to worship more than singing Giving Redemption hands and feet

We have been blessed– now we’re going to be a blessing We have been loved– now we’re going to bring love We’ve been invited– we’re going to share the invitation We have been changed– to bring change, to bring change We have been changed– to bring change, to bring change

Thank You for this new life, thank You for the invitation! God, we want to live it loud enough to shake the nations " in Your name!

We have been saved– we’re going to shout about the Savior We have been found– we’re going to turn over every stone We’ve been empowered– to love the world to Heaven We have been changed– to bring change, to bring change We have been changed– to bring change, to bring change We have been changed– to bring change, to bring change

It's for Everyone

I'm not even quite sure the number of times I've opened up my blog to write a new post. It has been more than a handful of times. I feel like there are so many good things to say, yet I can't figure out how to write it out!


So here's the thing. The Lord is good. All the time. The Lord is good.


One of my non-project related highlights was going to New York last Saturday. I had already been to New York on a family trip in elementary school and seeing the sights wasn't the best part. Get this: I got to see my brother! I hadn't seen Ian since Christmas and I'm not sure when I'll see him again. New York is the halfway point between Ocean City, NJ and Newport, RI. We met there for the day and I had a blast. I would love to post pictures, but it looks as though my pictures haven't been showing up on past blogs. I love my brother sooo much and I'm so thankful that I was able to spend time with him!

I only have two full weeks of project left and I'm having quite the opposite problem as I was having at the end of the semester. Before: It was hard to focus on school...trying to wait for project. Now: It's hard to not focus on school...

Regardless of how excited I am to go back to Sac State, I want to finish the summer well. I am humbled to say that this summer, God has rocked my life and my faith and trust in Him has multiplied. I feel so much more equipped to have a successful ministry in my life and have learned so much in order to better my relationships.

I want to leave you with this thought; The Gospel is for everyone. The Gospel is not only for people who do not know Jesus. We must preach the Gospel to ourselves daily...it shows us who we are, our true representation. Here's fact; God is holy. We are not. We must rely on His truths every day in order to be as effective as possible for what He has called us to do. The whole Bible reflects the Gospel-not just Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We are far too easily pleased. Are you living a life with eternity in mind?

The Gospel:

 1) God loves you and created you to know Him personally. He has a wonderful plan for your life.

2) People are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love and plan.

3) Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for our sins. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love and plan.

4) We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love and plan. 

//And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 

-1 John 5:11-13.

A Little Taste of OC

Happy Fourth of July!!

My Action Group: Me, Jocelyn, Rebekah, and Lola.

My job once the staff leaves Friday is Action Group Leader

and I will have the privilege to disciple these three

beautiful ladies!

One of the many thunderstorms I've experienced this summer.

The Lord has been doing incredible things in my heart this summer. My heart for the lost has grown so much and it is so true that there are people who are desperate to hear the Gospel. I've learned a lot of what it looks like to have a personal ministry and I am stoked to head back to Sac State in the fall and impact my campus for eternity. 

I am so grateful for the grace that is extended to me daily from Jesus and for the acceptance I feel from this awesome community of brothers and sisters here. We are not meant to live the Christian life alone. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is faithful and provides us with all we need--even if we are surprised by how that looks. 

Regardless of how homesick I may feel or how sad it will be to leave Project in a month, God has proven me wrong over and over again---He has provided friends that have made this transition so much easier and I know that I will have a great community back in Sacramento, too.

Our staff leaves at the end of the week and we will take over the responsibilities required to run Project. I will be an Action Group Leader. I am excited to see how the Lord will use me in the lives of Rebekah, Jocelyn, and Lola---and especially to see all that I can learn from them. Please keep the Project in your prayers as we make this transition!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Please also be praying for the East Asia Summer Project! Students from East Asia are having their second Summer Project---it is illegal for them to share their faith and we just pray that the Lord will protect them and will provide many opportunities for them to share.

I hope you're having an awesome week!!

Rewind!

Goodness gracious! As you can imagine, this past month has been filled with countless sweet life moments and I'd love to share some with you now. I cannot believe that a month of Project has flown by so quickly, but it makes sense when every Sunday I sit back and wonder where the heck the week went. 

I'm working 30+ hours each week and it has been so much fun! I have some new pet peeves of customers (please don't order with sunglasses on and it's OK if you yell your order to me...at least I could hear you). My coworkers are really what make my time at McDonald's such a blast. Please keep praying for the Ocean City McDonald's! 

Let me rewind to the first week of Project and retell the stories and events! I know my journal will come in handy for this.

Week One: Setting the Pace.

-We can run toward Jesus because we have nothing to hide. We can run to each other because we have nothing to prove. --Jill Fuhs

This week we really focused on what we wanted our summer to look like and really what we wanted the rest of our Christian walk to look like throughout our lives. This week also included my first days as an official McDonald's employee! We also learned that the Holy Spirit is our new Operating System as believers.

Week Two: Thirsting to Know Him.

-If it's anything but Christ, we are left thirsty. The beauty is, there's HOPE. He came forward to give us living water. Leave the old water jug behind...do not run back to the thing you hate! ~Ryan Berg.

As humans, we are broken! Regardless of the offer Jesus Christ extends to us, we run to our broken cisterns...those things we hate but we continue to run back to those things to find the source of living water. Ultimately, we end up thirsty once again. These can be anything: peer groups, gossip, sexual intimacy, academic pursuits, pride, etc! 

Bob Fuhs also spoke to us on the work of the Holy Spirit. "Lord I can't but you can."

Week Three: Killing the Giants.

-It is sweet to know Jesus. There is a spiritual reality that there are people being saved and people perishing. To many, we are the aroma of life. ~Alicia Penning.

This was a crazy week! I was blown away by all the Lord accomplished through us in one week. Every day, we were out sharing and killing our giants. Our goal was to have 5,131 spiritual conversations we ended up having 5,862! Isn't that incredible?? We also saw 213 people accept Christ that week.

Week Four: All for One.

-Together is better because we are better together. ~Adam Penning.

Together we have strength, synergy, security and shelter. Community and fellowship is so important to who we are! In a rope, there are many chords. We cannot pick out strands. Every person is vital in the body of Christ. 

We just finished up All for One week last night. The whole week was leading up to the staff vs. student softball game. SPOILER ALERT: we got creamed!

The week was really changed up as far as activities and scheduling went. One person would get a slip of paper with a clue on it and all 100+ of us would need to know it without texts, tweets, Facebook, or posters. On Thursday, only one girl and boy per house were allowed to wake up with an alarm clock. Imagine coordinating that! 

Wednesday, we had women's conference: Risking it all to follow our call. It was a great time getting dressed up, coming together as women, and just getting poured into and learning more of what it means to be a woman for the Lord. 

Other sweet victories:

-My mom came on Friday to visit! We got to spend the whole weekend together and I had a total blast! She just left this afternoon and I definitely am going to miss her (and the rest of my family and friends) for the next six weeks!

-My roommate Jocelyn ROCKS! It has been so much fun getting to know her. Today, we spent the lazy Sunday afternoon watching the Sandlot.

-I have also met so many other incredible people. The Lord has added so many beautiful Christian women to my life. 

-I'm going to a Phillies game on the 22nd with McDonald's coworkers!

-Every Tuesday night, we have extended time with the Lord. Hours of prayer, reflection, journaling, and listening is a great way to be filled. 

-A sponsor family from the church we attend adopted me, Amanda (UCLA) and Sharon (CAL POLY). There names are Bob and Marge and they're the cutest! They've been married for 54 years. They have been so gracious to us as hosts. We have dinner with them every Friday night. 

-I have been OBSESSED with the song "Give Me Faith" by Elevation Worship. I highly recommend looking it up.

-Getting mail is also a great thing. Thank you to those who have reached out!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers of support. I wish that the internet was more friendly and that I was able to post pictures on this post. Hopefully next time....and hopefully it won't be another month before I'm able to fill you in. Happy Fourth of July! 

Golden Arches

Hello friends and family! Well, it's the first Sunday of Project and it has been a nice day of rest. I'm finally adjusted to the time change!! Currently, I am sitting in a living room with at least 15 people standing around. Welcome to my life in Ocean City, New Jersey.

 I am in a 2 person room so there's just one bunk bed. It's a smaller room but it looks like it will be ok with two people. My roommate hasn't arrived yet because she is a quarter student. I believe the quarter students arrive on June 11th. My days this week have started at 9 am and last til midnight or 1am. We have had a lot of meetings of ministry trainings and a lot of time and activities to get to know one another. Next week, our days are filled with working and meetings nightly.  I have an awesome Action Group and Impact Group. We also had a sharing time yesterday and 13 people were led to Christ on the boardwalk! It was the coolest thing. I went out sharing with my new friend Lauren and we were able to talk to three girls  (sisters and their friend) and they all received Christ! Please be praying for Jovanna, Christina, and Victoria.

You may be curious about the title. Well, the Lord has provided me with a job at Mickey D's! Six of us were hired and my first day is on Wednesday. It's in walking distance so that's really nice. I am so stoked. I don't think I can really explain why I am so excited to work at McDonald's this summer.

So yes, my week has been filled with many Golden Arches. I have met so many new friends, we celebrated Wonderbear's birthday on the boardwalk,  the Lord provided me with a job, 13 people received Christ, I received my first piece of mail for the summer, and I am just happy to be here!

Thank you for your continual prayers and support. I know this summer with impact my life forever. I am $310 short and I am able to still raise support until July 7th. Please be keeping me and all the other students on Project in your prayers!

Ready or Not, Here I Come!

I wish I had time to really sit down and fill you in about all this stuff swimming through my brain. However, today is a busy day! I'm finishing packing and heading to Modesto to see my dad. I'll be picking up Nate and Peyton tonight so we can all go to airport together in the morning. It will be an early morning for sure. Our flights leave around 6AM! Kevin is also on our flight and Jonathan is actually flying as we speak!

I guess it finally hit me yesterday that I'm leaving. Weird how that always happens, right? Well, it's true. This is my last night sleeping at home for a long while. I'm going to miss it! I was talking to a good friend last night and she gave me some good encouragement and advice. I'm going on a mission. This is a unique time in my life where I can go all out and grow and press into the Lord. I shouldn't allow all these little worries keep me from being able to say "mission accomplished" as I fly back to California in August.

I'm jazzed to say the least! I would love to receive mail while I'm away from home so I wanted to share my address with you. I promise to do my best to respond in a timely manner!

Audrey De Soto

1301 Central Avenue

Ocean City, NJ 08226

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

1 Timothy 2:1 

One Week...

Hello friends and family!

I feel like it's been an obnoxiously long time. But here's the deal...IT'S SUMMERTIME! The last month or so, I haven't been able to use my laptop because the backlight went out. Imagine trying to complete projects and study for finals...hectic for sure. I used the school computers and got it all done. My goal is to figure something out this week. My life was just ridiculous trying to finish up school and it slipped off my priority list. However, it's back on!

Can I just say how awesome it is to be out of school? My last final was on Thursday and I've had a blast ever since. Friday, we closed the building and it was pure chaos. I was so emotionally and physically exhausted...no one was kidding when they said how draining it would be. But the good news is that I got to spend quality time with my staff even if it meant re-doing bulliten boards with Tara til 1am.

So far on my summer vacation I've enjoyed a Rivercats Game, shopping with my mom, enjoyed a church service at home, savored a late night In N Out run, slept in, attempted to sort out the chaos of the living room from all my stuff from Sac, reunited with special friends, saw Soul Surfer for the second time, and rocked my first natural wavy hair day of summer. Today is day two.

Tonight, I will be sitting in AT&T Park, surrounded by spirited fans and enjoying my last game of the summer while rooting for the best baseball team in the world. No really, we're the world champions; just in case you didn't know. GO GIANTS! 

This week ahead is already becoming filled with all sorts of stuff...but most importantly, I hope to make sure I spend quality time with my family. I promised my mom I would also organize all my stuff so that when I come back home, I can move right back into the halls.

As of right now, I am still about 600 dollars short on my support. I wanted to say thank you again to all who have already supported and ask that you prayerfully consider supporting me financially if it is something that is on your heart. Here's to the one week mark! I hope all of you are enjoying this season as much as I am. Break out those flip-flops and make some memories!

Jenkins 111

Hello everyone! Last time we talked, I was feeling overwhelmed and not quite for sure how to handle the copious amounts of to-do's on my list. Well, school is zooming by. I only have 2 weeks left of classes and then finals. As a college student, that means only 8 days left getting up surviving school days and I only have 2-3 finals this semester. I know, how could I not know exactly how many? I will have the option to take my Sign Language final depending on how well I do on the next test. So, I am hoping to only take two finals this semester! That does not mean that my finals week will be any less hectic. I will be filling my time with checking residents out of the hall. Plus, packing to head home while organizing my life to head to New Jersey. It's hard to imagine that the time is coming! I've spent 9 months with these residents and regardless of getting woken up last night at 3am due to some violating quiet hours, I'm going to miss them.

Here's some good news: my contract as an RA has been renewed! We got our new building placements on Wednesday. I'll be heading across the Res Hall Quad to join the Jenkins staff! I'll be on the first floor, in good ole room 111. Obviously, it's going to be a whole new experience but I am so incredibly excited about it! I've lived in a co-ed hall for two years but in Jenkins, I will be on a wing with all girls. Everyone says how different it is (imagine having that many females so close together for that long). I'm just stoked to have the opportunity to have another year as an RA to look forward to. So, Jenkins, here I come!

How is planning for New Jersery going you ask? I am pleased to inform you that there are only 31 days until I board a plane that will take me across the country. I have a paper chain counting down the days until project. When Maci, Allison, and I made it, there were 97 rings. Now there are only 31! I have it hanging up on my wall as a reminder of what I am working towards.

I still have about $1000 to raise to cover the cost of the project. There have been so many sweet surprises the Lord has thrown my way the past two months in regards to my financial support. I am confident that everything will be ok even if it requires a few more surprises. It's never too late to receive support! I also am thankful for all the prayerful support that you have committed to. It's awesome to know that people are excited about what I'm excited about and care about my spiritual growth.

I am duty this weekend which means I have to stay in my hall. Hopefully this equates to many productive hours of schoolwork and some not-so-productive hours with friends.  Enjoy the sunshine and please keep praying for my trip and for all the other students that are also going this summer. If you would like to support me this summer, I would love to talk to you more about it. You can email me at ald223@saclink.csus.edu

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:28

Reality Check: 48 Days!

Well hello, again. I know it's been a while but I've been feeling all sorts of overwhelmed. Nothing in particular, just the semester coming to a close and so many loose ends to tie! I'm giving up on my audiology paper for the night to bring you this short little blurb before bed. And just so you know, my paper is due tomorrow. Yup.

Regardless of how crazy and ridiculous my life feels, I know that these feelings are not always based in reality. I am thankful to have friends here that remind me of the Truth. Here's reality: I leave for Ocean City in 48 days! I'm going and it's approaching quickly. I often imagine what it's going to be like, who I'm going to meet, and how I will be different when I return to California on August 14th. But I know it's impossible to imagine! There are so many things the Lord has planned for me that are far beyond my wildest dreams. It's scary but it surely is wonderful.

Support has started to come in once again and I'm reminded that it is not in my control. Thank you so much for your consistent prayers and for faithfully supporting me financially. All of your encouragement means so much to me. I cannot wait to be done with papers, projects, and exams for a few months. Until that time, I will work diligently and watch my Savior pull this plan together. I hope that you all are having a fantastic week. Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. //Proverbs 17:22

We Made It Through The Rain

What a wonderful Spring Break it has been! I enjoyed laying around in sweats and yoga pants daily complete with sweatshirts and glasses. I did have my fair share of time out of the house too! I had great days with special friends and was so grateful to spend time with them. I finally got my right contacts, went to the dentist, and got a hair cut. Feelin' fresh! 

I don't mean to point out the obvious, but the weather was ridiculous this week. POURING rain. BLISTERING wind. COLD days. This may not be what I would've planned for my "perfect" break but it was certainly what I needed. In all honesty, I was anything but productive when it comes to school work and projects. But, I spent a lot of time recharging my batteries and reflecting on what is to come. Graduation is way closer than I may think and grad school is looming over my head. It's strange how life expects you to plan the next part of your life before you even finish what you're currently doing! Who knows where I'll go to grad school, when/where Ian will be deployed, how all my financial support will come in, and all of the other life questions that pop into my mind? 

Luckily, I have a Savior who is crazy about me. I am confident that He has my best interests in mind and I'm sure that all this "stuff" will be taken care of. But here's great news: I hit the $1000 mark! As of today I have seen $1070 come in. It's so awesome and I have to remind myself that although we still have a ways to go, He has got this all under control. Just like this Spring Break weather, life will clear up and it will not always be pouring rain.

I only have eight weeks til summer. Eight precious weeks left in Sac to finish what the Lord has started there with me this year. Eight precious weeks left with my residents and staff. Then, I will have one week at home before setting off for Ocean City. Hold onto your hats, it's going to be a wild ride. I can do this!

Thank you for your continuing support. Your prayers and financial support mean so much to me. If you are interested in supporting me financially this summer, I would LOVE to talk to you about it. I'm glad to see that you too survived the rain. Enjoy this time of sunshine!

"You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden." -Matthew 5:14

We Made It 

The Team

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the official team from Sac State CRU heading to Ocean City this summer. (From left to right: Jonathan, Me, Nate, Peyton, Kevin) As of today, we have all now received our acceptances. What a joy! I am so excited to spend this summer with such great friends. Please pray for us all as we prepare our hearts for the summer and as we raise financial support. Thank you so much for your generosity and your prayers. I was able to send my initial deposit in on time!

Spring Break is next week and I'm looking forward to spending some time at home. Leaving at the end of May means that I don't have a lot of time at home from the time I finish school to the day I fly to New Jersey. I hope to hang out with friends, spend time with family, and relax. Hopefully I'll receive more letters back, too! I hope that everyone is having a great week.  

I see a generation

rising up to take their place.

With selfless faith,

selfless faith.

I see a near revival

stirring as we pray and seek.

We're on our knees,

we're on our knees.

Hosanna.

                                                                                       -Hillsong United

From Frazzled to Taken Care Of.

What a great weeks it’s been!  March has  been good to me thus far and it looks like it’ll be getting even better with Spring Break only two weeks away!

I would like to share a story of yesterday morning with you. I had a hair cut appointment in Galt and was very excited about it. Plus, it would give me a chance to stop home to pick up some things. I woke up at 7:52am (snooze is not my friend) and I needed to leave by 8. I scrambled out of bed and did the least amount of things necessary to be presentable and rushed out the door. I hopped in my car, knowing that I was cutting it close. As I pulled out of the parking space, something just wasn’t right. It wasn’t obvious to me at first…but I left my car running and hopped out to take a look. And there it was: an annoying flat tire.

Bummer, right? Well, just wait. It gets better. I pulled back into the space and called my hair dresser to let her know that I would not be making it. She was understanding ; I was happy about that.  Being an adult is tough sometimes so I did what most Daddy’s girls would do: I called my dad. I was fully confident in my ability to solve the problem, but in the moment, his encouragement was just what I needed. It was 8 am and I knew none of my friends would be awake. I definitely didn’t want to wake a guy up this early on a Friday morning!!  I walked back to my building, frustrated and disappointed with how my morning had started. The custodian was there to greet me. I didn’t think it was obvious that I had a rough morning, but he asked me what was wrong and I told him I had a flat tire. He dropped what he was doing and said he could help.

The rest of the story plays out like a comedy. One thing after another kept going wrong. I couldn’t find the tools in his car. He went to his truck but his socket was too big. He called another custodian and his also didn’t fit.  But he then found the tools in a secret compartment in my trunk (who knew! ha). So they put the spare on and guess what? It was low on air. So they jumped in his truck and took it to the gas station to fill it. Apparently the first one didn’t have an air pump…so they went to another one.

In the meantime, I was sitting on the curb in the parking lot of the Res Halls. Remember how I got ready in 8 minutes? I took advantage of time zones and called friends that I thought would be up. Texting is also a great way to pass time. In the end, everything was pulled together and my Friday continued to be great! I spent the afternoon rock climbing and the evening was all about celebrating my friend’s birthday.

The lesson of the day: God takes care of all our needs. He knew I would have a flat tire. He knew it’d be early. He knew someone would be there who could help. He knew we would run into a few problems, but He provided ways around it. What a great example of the Lord’s provision and omnipresence in our lives .

This is what I know is happening with my trip to Ocean City. He knows what I need to get there. He knows exactly how this is all going to work. Each day I get a letter back, my mom calls me as she opens it. He has been so faithful this week and thank you so much for helping!  Please continue to pray with me as May 31^st approaches. Only 87 days left! 

The Next Step

This is a part of going to New Jersey that I would say is the most foreign to me. Raising support is something that I've heard of but this is the first time that I am doing it myself. It's a concept that is difficult to explain, but it's a way for people to make an eternal investment. How cool is that?

Today, my good friend Peyton, joined me in my adventure to Galt so I could pick up a few things from home. It is such a blessing being close enough to home to make little trips like this. We stopped by the good ole Galt Post Office and bought stamps and headed to my house to begin stuffing envelopes. I wrote and signed as she stuffed and sealed the envelopes. Thanks Peyton! 

I am still collecting addresses but I am very excited to see God begin to pull all this together and I truly believe that He will use people in my life (including you) to help me get to Ocean City to do His work. 

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever-do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 138:8

CRUatSAC

CAUSEWAY CLASSIC

cru@sac VS. cru@davis

       This was such a fun night and I wanted to share it with you! Last Thursday night, CRU at Sac went across the causeway to challenge CRU at Davis in a game of Capture the Flag. UC Davis is Sac State's rival so you can imagine how great our desire was to win!

       Do you remember how horrible the weather was last week? We played on the quad and there were countless puddles. HUGE ones. It was dark. It was cold. We were outnumbered. It continued to rain during the game. But, we never lost HEART. My faithful rainboots kept my feet dry throughout the night.

       We lost the first couple games but gave it all we had on the last run. Kenny captured the flag to give us the final win of the game. It was close and as Davis was running their flag across the line, Kenny crossed ours with only seconds to spare. Throughout the night, we had successful moments of getting our players to our flag. As people were tagged, they returned to our base with updates and to tag our flag to resume their place in the game. It was a blast seeing everyone play and how much fun everyone was having, even when we lost. I had a great time and was so excited when I would tag a Davis player...like really excited! Players were sliding from the rain and I don't believe this picture does any justice. Afterwards, we headed to the local IN N OUT to review the night and to enjoy one another's company.

       Our special friendships are evident by how much fun we have hanging out with one another, no matter the occasion. I am incredibly thankful for CRU at Sac State. I am challenged to grow at the same time of being accepted and encouraged. I encourage you to pray for CRU at Sac State as we continue to reach out to our campus. I am also grateful for Campus Crusade for Christ for providing me such an awesome opportunity to spend this summer in Ocean City, NJ. I hope that you all are having a great week. Don't be afraid to play in the rain!

Got rest?

It's weird to me that I've already been in school for three weeks! I am still learning how to balance my time and how to keep up on all my commitments. I am being reminded to rest and to take time to simply listen. What a hard task that can be at times in a culture that prompts us to stay on the go! 

I know that resting is important and it is something that God Himself has even modeled for us. There was a great message today at church today given by Jason Whalen focusing on the importance of balance and rest in our lives. Balance is Jesus' answer for weary disciples. We have to be willing to say "no" to some things in order to say "yes" to the right things.

So how does this apply to my summer in Ocean City? For the next 15 weeks, whether I am actively conscious of it or not, I am preparing myself for my summer in New Jersey. God is preparing amazing things and in order for me to be effective, I need to be rested. I need to take advantage of this time that He has given me to slow down.

It is hard to slow down and I think we can all relate to that. Between hours of classes, meetings, studying, being an RA, and trying to keep my sanity, I am assured that He is in control. I hope that you are all taking time to relax and spend time with the Lord. It's the best place to be. Please be praying with me as I continue to grow and prepare for New Jersey! 

And So It Begins

      

Hello friends and family! I thought starting a blog would be a great way to keep you all posted on my journey to Ocean City, New Jersey. I am so excited for this opportunity and I’m even more excited to see how this is all pulled together. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

          

Choosing Sac State was definitely the right decision. I have had incredible opportunities here. I am currently an RA in Sierra Hall and am in my second semester of Speech Pathology & Audiology classes. The Lord has blessed me with great friends and has allowed to me maintain those special friendships from home, too.

            

This past fall semester, I was able to see CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) really grow from a six person meeting to now having over 80 people involved in the movement. Summer Project is through CRU which is a national organization and this is where the idea of spending the summer in New Jersey began.

            

Early October, I joined 40 other Sac State CRU members to Fall Retreat in Hidden Lakes, CA. It was so much fun and this is where a lot of my new friendships began. Our wonderful staff members introduced us to Summer Project and recommended that we apply to Santa Monica or Ocean City.

            

My first reaction: twelve weeks is a long time. I wasn’t quite for sure what my summer would look like and I was already interested in going internationally through another organization. Regardless of what I thought I had planned, I continuously felt the tug and call and my curiosity grew and grew. Our staff casted such a great vision for the project and the decision to apply became obvious. I submitted my application on December 10^th.

            

This was not your average application. It was far more than the usual name/address/phone number questions. The application itself was a way to reflect on my values and faith and really know why I had a desire to apply to project.

            

I received my acceptance last Friday (the 28^th) and the anticipation of waiting was finally over. But the anticipation of actually heading across country is building now. What’s the next step? Raise financial and prayerful support. Soon, I will be sending letters out and would love it if you join me on this incredible journey. Check out www.gosummerproject.com for a more detailed vision and I would LOVE to hear from you, too.

            

I wish this could all come together with a snap of my fingers, but I would be foolish to believe I posses that much power. I have grown so much this past year and can only imagine the new lessons the Lord has prepared for me. There are still many unanswered questions about this project but I do know that with faith and patience, He can do great things.