To be continued...

So... I leave to head back to Michigan on Thursday!

And I realized over the weekend, that I hadn't blogged in a long time! Sorry!! The moments I wanted to come in my room and blog about an experience were usually the same moments I had to spend time with the students or do some random spontaneous activity!! And both of those options always won out over blogging!!

But I plan to blog about a lot of what God has done in Chi-town even after I return to Michigan. I actually think that may be better, because as God helps me process all He has taken me through, I will be able to share more of what I learned and how I grew! And that was the real purpose for this blog from the beginning!! :)

So, if you want, stay tuned!! My desire is to continue this blog into what God does in Michigan as well! Because sometimes we hype up so much one experience God blesses us with and we forget about all the great day-to-day experiences He blesses us with as well. Or at least, I know I do that! And I want to grow to see God more in the day-to-day stuff too!! So, all that being said, I am going to try my best to continue to blog!

I pray you are all doing well and feeling/seeing God's presence in your day-to-day experiences!!

Looking forward to coming home - but not so much looking forward to leaving Chi-town! But trusting God has a plan for the days ahead... can't wait to see what that is!! :)

Much love!

Let me attempt a recap

Hey y'all!

So, in thinking about what has happened since the last time I blogged... I don't know where to start to try and express all God has done!

The three days I was referring to last week was a poverty simulation we did Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There are so many details to explain that it's hard to know what to say. But to give you a small idea of what took place... we were invited to take part in a poverty simulation to help us better understand what it's like to live in poverty. And what we experienced is only a papercut of what it must really feel like to live in poverty or be homeless!! We had very clear, strict boundaries to make this experience as real as possible! Some of these boundaries included sleeping on cement without anything but what we may have found during the day to sleep with (boxes and newspapers), 1-3 items we carried with us everywhere, no money, so at many times no food, dumpster diving for dinner, trying to stay warm (because those days were cool), no facilities to shower or clean up, eventually all personal items taken away, very limited hours of sleep if any, being asked to leave businesses or denied service because of the way we looked... Those are some of the details of our poverty simulation.

One other staff and I decided to participate. All but two of the students chose to participate. But by the end, only half of us remained (because you had the option of dropping out at any time).

Intense doesn't even begin to touch that experience!! I haven't even begin to process my feelings, thoughts, the way God revealed Himself, the ways in which He stretched me....

So thankful, though, that God pushed me to do it and so thankful for ways He revealed Himself to me through it!! Sorry this is all so vague! God revealed to me this week that I need to allow Him to process this within me in HIS time, not mine! And my heart's desire is that this all takes root deep inside me - so I am not going to mess that up by rushing what God is doing!!

Isn't it amazing when God deepens your heart for what breaks His heart, it hurts and feels freeing at the same time?? If that makes any sense!!

I am excited to come home next week - I miss my friends and family! But I am struggling leaving all of this! Having such an intense, intimate experience led by the Holy Spirit... you just want more and you don't want it to end!! So, the challenge is how do I bring that home with me!?!? That's my prayer!

I wish I could write more - but trying to make sense of all I am feeling and all God is doing is proving to be quite difficult!

Stay tuned though! I pray God puts some of my feelings into words as the days go on!

Thanks again for all of your support, encouragement, prayer, and love!! I know that is one of the reasons I have been so blessed this summer!!

Much love!

Prayer request

We are embarking on quite the journey over the next 3 days!! I can't write specifics in case one of the students reads my blog, but.... it is going to be VERY VERY stretching!!

If you could bless us with your prayers, we would greatly appreciate it!! Here are some specifics to pray for:
- safety (physical and emotional)
- wisdom and discernment as we seek God's guidance over the next 3 days
- at least some good rest
- that our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts stay wide open to what God wants us to see, hear, and experience
- our attitudes (that they stay positive and encouraging)
- that we feel God holding us close
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, that God deepens our compassion and breaks our hearts even more for what breaks His heart!!!

Thanks friends!! Can't wait to share with you all this weekend about what God has done over the next 3 days!!

Blessings!!

I want to go back to prison!!

Did that title spark your interest or what?!?! :)

So... yesterday we had the incredible blessing of going into Sheridan Prison about an hour and a half south of Chicago to share our love for Christ with the men at this facility!!!

OH MY WORD!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE NEVER BEEN A PART OF SOMETHING SOOOOO GOD AND SOOOO POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!

We began the day by getting a little bit of training on the materials we would be using to share the Gospel. Then we started our day! There were two performers, one lady who does mad crazy tricks with basketballs and an NFL player who can do crazy strength tricks and has an incredible story. Both of these individuals were amazing and accomplished the task of getting the men's attention and placing that attention on hearing the Gospel.

That's when God gave us an incredible gift!!!!! Each of us (on our team, staff and students) was able to huddle up with a group of about 10 of the men (inmates) in this prison and share our love and passion for God and His Good News!! WOW!!!!!!!!! That's all I know to say!! They were sooooo hungry for what God was sharing through us!! I don't know if I've ever been in a situation or ever will be again where the people I am blessed to talk with are sooooo hungry for the Message!!! THEY WERE SOOO HUNGRY!!!!!!!

So, God lead through me a group of 10 men in the morning and then we did the entire program again in the afternoon and He led another group of 10 men in the afternoon and let me be a part of it!!!!!

Oh, the stories I was blessed and trusted to hear!!! And how these men just wanted to be heard!! If you're interested in hearing more at some point, ask me about David and Randy, two of the men I had long, deep conversations with that brought tears to my eyes and made my heart ache and rejoice with what they've been through and where God is taking them!!!!!!!

HERE'S THE BEST PART -- GOD ALLOWED ME TO BE A PART OF HIM LEADING 5 MEN TO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sitting at my computer typing this with tears in my eyes and overwhelming joy in my heart that I am going to see these men again in Heaven at our precious Holy Father's throne!!!!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!

I loved going into the prison yesterday!!!!!!! The Holy Spirit was soooo present, moving, and working through us!!!!!!!! What an overwhelming, unforgettable experience!!!

I was soooo nervous going into that experience yesterday!! A LOT of prayer was covering into that experience!!! And God was soooo faithful!!!!!!!

When asked at the end if I would ever do something like this again, without hesitation, I responded, "I can't wait to do this again!!!!!!!!" And after I said that, I was like, "Did I really just say that?!?!" I DID!!!!! AND I MEANT IT!!!!!!! I can't wait for God to bless me with another experience with His Presence and Power in that environment!

What a challenging, stretching, growing, and encouraging experience!! I told the men I was blessed to converse with them and that I was walking out of that prison sooooo deeply encouraged by each of them!! And they looked at me like I was crazy! But it was true!! I told them that them allowing me to spend time with them, hear their stories, and allow me to share my love for Christ and more importantly Christ's love for each of them - that has to be one of the greatest blessings of my life!!!! And the handshakes and hugs I received at the end of each of group times was amazing - the genuine respect and love established in such a short amount of time!!!!! Crazy!!

What a crazy God we serve!!! Who loves each of us with such a crazy, endless love!!!!!! The more our God deepens my heart and head knowledge with His crazy love and Spirit, the more He fills me with His energy and power to do crazy things to bring Him glory and to share that crazy love with as many people as I can!!!!!!

Amazing day! Amazing God!! Amazing, crazy Love!!!

Much love!!

My heart is heavy...

Yesterday, we found out a 9 year old girl was playing in her front yard and was shot and killed. This happened only a few minutes away from where we're staying.

When I was told this yesterday, I couldn't take a breath for a few seconds. And my heart immediately hurt.

I am so thankful that God is breaking my heart for what breaks His heart. But.... I don't know what to do with the ache. And my heart just wants to comfort that hurting family right now!!

And it deeply saddens and angers me that this type of occurrence is simply commonplace! We get more upset when a celebrity dies, than we do when a 9 year old precious girl gets shot and killed out of nowhere playing in her front yard! One of the few places she should feel safe!! My heart aches at this injustice!!

Please pray for this precious girl, that she knew Christ as her personal Savior before she died. Please pray for her family as they are probably feeling a spectrum of emotions right now. And (selfishly) please pray for my heart, because I am both deeply saddened and angered about this! And I want to do something, but don't know what to do!

1st day at ministry site :)

So... (don't you love it that I start most of my blog posts with "so..." :) ) our students started their ministry sties this week!! Yeehaw!! Finally the hands on stuff, the getting messy for the Gospel stuff!! Love it!!

Staff goes with the different groups of students at least two days a week to the different ministry sites. So, this week I went with a group of students to a place called By the Hand - Kids Club. It is an area youth program run out of a local church. It is a year-long program with more intense programming in the summer to keep the kids busy. It was sooo much fun!! We played games with the kids, helped them with their reading, did a devotional/shared the Gospel, and played some more!! The kids in this program go from K-8. What a blessing to be their and be able to interact with such beautiful children of God!!

Here's some pics! :)

This is me and Iris! Isn't she beautiful!?!?

There she is again! I love her smile! She is 8 years old!! :)

This is Kenneth working on his reading with one of our students, Emily. He was not too thrilled to work on reading in the summer!

During our free time, the girls love to braid hair!! So, Iris was working on my hair! You need to have a tough scalp, that's for sure! They're not messin' around! Don't I look beautiful though??

This is me and Kayla!! Isn't she adorable!!?? Such a little lover!! :) Got my fill of lovins from her!!

Here's some of our little guys! They're trying to look tough - but don't let them fool you, there sweet as ever! ;)

Couple of the kids working on one of our student's hair, Ashley!! Yes, even boys can do hair! :)

They loved taking our cameras and taking pictures of each other and being able to see them on the screens right away!! Sooo cute!! That is Daniel holding the camera! He's a tiny little thing! I wish you could have seen his smile!! :)

One of the older kids showing us her mad skills with the carrots!! :)

This was one of the amazing pieces of art hanging in the hallway of this youth center! I love this!! I think it is so beautiful the cross against the rainbow!! What a great reminder of God's incredible love through the promises He gives us!!

So... yeah! I can't wait to go back to the sites this week! I feel sooo alive being in this community, getting to know God's people, and having the gift and freedom to tell others about how much God loves them!! Wow!!

Love ya'll!! :)

Team Building Day

So.... today was our team building day! We put the students into ministry groups yesterday and today we really wanted them to begin working as a team. The ministry groups are the groups that the students will be spending the majority of their time with this summer. They will be going to all the ministry sites each week together and they will be going to church together. So, today was was really important for them to learn to work together, communicate, establish trust, encourage each other, and spiritually support each other as well. It was super challenging, but we had a blast!!! Beth (my roommate) and I took two of the groups and did the activites right along with them! I love this kind of thing!!!! :) Here are a few pics of our hard work and FUN!!!! ;)