So, it's been a heck of a summer. We are officially a full month into Summer Beach Project, and it has been an eventful summer. I have 3 beautiful, fun loving young ladies that are growing in front of my eyes. They are showing me what it means to be a daughter in Christ more diligently and more truthfully.
Being a room leader at project is an adventure that takes a lot of patience and humility. It is a task that pushes you past your limits and shows you how to be fully reliant on God...because reliance on anything else will resort in nothing more than misery for yourself and your girls. There is nothing more than God in life, and we have to remember this to move forward.
My schedule is a bit crazy and looks nothing like normal from week to week, which can be difficult for me because I so much enjoy organization and routine. I have meetings 4 mornings a week and work just as many nights. I have full days on sundays of participating in a local church and doing worship and planning time for the coming week with beach project. I am constantly squeezing in intentional time to spend with disciples and finding ways to help them grow. It's an adventure every day, not knowing what kind of sin-struggle or boy-drama will be arising. It's been a common theme this year to see and hear of passivity among the men on campus. We challenge them to be bold and to be intentional with their motives and their actions, as well as, to be straightforward with what they want or ask for out of the relationship. As far as sin-struggles go, those are always difficult. Core idols and core sins are forever a struggle to the devout, We must learn how to interact with the devil in a manner that encourages combatance and rejection in order to truly repent and run towards the Lord our God.
So some things that have been progressive this summer:
-I've witnessed the progress of men and women's walk with the Lord. I have heard of near 25 men and women on campus become Christians this summer and I have heard of multiple lives being rededicated to the Lord. It has been more than exciting to witness the furthering of the kingdom and to bring light to His life for who He is and what He has done for us.
-God has brought people and events into my life to teach me what it means to fully trust Him and to show me where I have actually been lacking in this. He has shown himself to me in the darkest and in the lightest moments of my life here at project thus far. He has shown me that I can and will be forever a daughter of His love and grace. I am thankful for a God who knows my vices and my ways of coping and avoiding Him. God has provided His son to show His love for me. God has harbored love in His heart to give me a second chance at life and tell me that I can be more than what my sin has created me to be.
-I have seen my best friend chase God like never before and hate his sin more than I have ever imagined him doing. He has put himself before the people who love him, and He has decided to take the steps towards Christ by repenting to God and asking Him to remove the sin from His life that He has not been able to escape.
-God has worked in the hearts of the kids here, convicting their hearts for the greater purpose of serving the nations and ministering to their friends and family in whatever ways that can in the coming months and years.
In all, I have been able to witness God work in people's lives first hand. I have been able to witness His hand in their lives, turning their thoughts, pulling their hearts, and pushing their boundaries. God is calling us all to be followers of Himself and to see that calling continue to be one accepted by those around me has been incredible. I am so impressed by His work and His love. God has planned things for our greater purpose and He has brought us together to please Him. He is working everyday to show Himself to the people here at Summer Beach Project and the people that we work with.
Brothers and Sisters, I ask that you pray for His will to continue to be done and His love to continue to be shown to these people. I would love to pray for any of you, so please let me know if there are any specific prayer requests that I can be keeping in my prayers.
God bless,
J.a.Smith
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