Awkward, but true

So, I have 3 nephews and a niece all under the age of 5.  They are pretty stinkin' cute.  But they are just growing up so quickly!  The eldest is just a few months shy of turning 5 and I keep thinking about how this is the age that I really can start remembering back to.  And let me tell you... there are some awkward memories.

Like that time when I had a clown suit for dress up.  It was navy blue with white polka dots and had cute colored yarn puff balls that ran up the middle of it like buttons.  I think my mother may have made it.  Well, there was one day when I was around 4 that I got quite angry.  I can't even remember about what, but I do remember going down to the basement with that clown suit and letting it have the brunt of my anger by ripping it in two.  Not a proud moment to look back on, but pretty accurate in terms of how I acted out as a child.

This is 4th grade...right on the verge of the real awkward phase of life.  I'm the one in the plaid, if you weren't sure :)

Ah yes, or a little later on, like in 4th grade at our school's annual "Skate-a-Thon."  We spent the day at a roller rink, showing off and getting blistered feet.  There was a group of boys in my class who were very close.  I had a crush on one of them with brown, wavy hair; a beautiful smile; and soccer skills I was envious of.  Well, a few of these boys skated up to me and said, "Phil wants to hold your hand and skate with you."  Phil?!  He was the tallest boy in our class with dark brown hair, lanky arms, and big teeth.  I did not have a crush on Phil.  Flustered, I said, "Well, he'll have to catch me!"  And I quickly took off skating... but it was a loop - where in the world did I think I was going?  He never did catch me.

And like that time in fifth grade when I was a new student at an elementary school.  It was recess and I was playing on the monkey bars with some friends when a group of boys came over.  I knew they were friends of the boy (Jack) in my class whom I found most annoying because he had to make a comment about everything.  They said to me, "Hey - Jack wants to know your phone number."  They laughed among themselves as my face flushed.  Eager to get attention off of myself I responded, "it's 911!"  They quickly turned to run after poor Jack and tell him of how I had crushed his pride.

Or that time in sixth grade when I had a month to work on building a model of a castle.  Day 1 : I got a piece of green construction paper for the land it would sit on.  Days 2-28 : I probably sat around watching tv. Day 29 : Reminder in school that the castle was due the next day.  Panic.  Stayed up late and got up early to construct a shoddy gray construction paper castle.  I began walking to school, with the glue still wet and it collapsed before I got to the end of the block.  I cried and turned back toward home.  My mother agreed to call the school, telling them I'd be late so that I could redo my project.  Finally, I got it to school and was relieved to get this burden out of my hands.  A few days later... I found out I got a D on my castle.  My first ever grade below a B and I was devastated and ashamed.  But I knew I totally deserved it.

These moments of my life are awkward, but true... and they're just scratching the surface.  Praise the Lord that He is making me more like Jesus each day!  I'm not done with being awkward, but at least they are more Christ-like.  He was human after all... I'm sure he ran into some awkward moments.

So... what about you?  I'd love to hear your best "awkward, but true" stories :)

Beginning a New Chapter

My dad has been continually asking me if I have updated my blog, so this one is dedicated to him.  Happy, daddy?  Well, I suppose it is about time that I update this.  I have been doing a great deal of organizing today - my clothes, my closet, my car... why not my blog?  Although that doesn't start with a 'c,' unfortunately. 

In a few short weeks I will be moving into my apartment in Milwaukee with 3 other girls.  Our neighbor, Mama Ball, apparently makes great barbeque and knows all the ins and outs of the neighborhood.  I hope to make friends with her.  :)

I'm so glad that I have a good community already waiting for me in Milwaukee.  It's exciting, but still a little unnerving, to be moving to a new city and starting a new job.  But having my friends there will be very comforting.  They're very... mature.

My Life in Pictures

Well, I hope this post isn't too disappointing, but I realized that I really enjoy seeing pictures when other people post them on their blogs. And I have been lacking in that category recently. But here are a few of my life recently...

These are my roommates - Huda and BJ. Huda and I cheered on BJ on Halloween for the marathon that she ran. It was the Haunted Hustle - participants were encouraged to wear costumes!Below are the women that I co-lead with the woman in the top middle, Bonnie. All of these ladies are seniors and has been so fun to go through a study of the tabernacle with them by Beth Moore!


This last picture is with my friend Annie in front of a gorgeous sunset in October. We've had some pretty mild weather so far - and I am not complaining!

Desperation

Working full-time for the Lord has been a sweet blessing. I have seen Him open doors (literally) and open hearts that would not have been opened without His guiding hand. Last week, I saw a new sister from China added to the family because she saw how none of her efforts to live a good life were getting her closer to God.
There has also been a sense of desperation on my part. I am too weak. Not knowledgeable enough. Too messed up.
I am so desperate for the Holy Spirit to be at work in and through me because I cannot live this life on my own! I cannot share the love of God without His power in my life.
I am desperate. For Him.

A to Z Gospel

This is an excerpt from a study on Galatians by Pastor Timothy Keller:

It is very common in Christian circles to assume that “the gospel” is something just for non-Christians. We presume that the gospel is a set of basic “A-B-C” doctrines that Christians do not need to hear or study once they are converted. Rather, they should move beyond the gospel to more “advanced” doctrines. But the great declaration of the gospel of grace in Galatians was written to believers who did not see the implications of the gospel for life-issues confronting them...
Belief in the gospel is not just the way to enter the kingdom of God; it is the way to address every obstacle and grow in every aspect. The gospel is not just the “ABCs” but the “A-to-Z” of the Christian life. The gospel is the way that anything is renewed and transformed by Christ — whether a heart, a relationship, a church, or a community. All our problems come from a lack of orientation to the gospel. Put positively, the gospel transforms our hearts, our thinking and our approach to absolutely everything. The gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous. So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope — at the very same time(!!!). This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth. It means that the more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you. But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more able you are to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your sin.

Woah - can that man speak truth, or what?? I have heard this excerpt I don't know how many times, yet it continues to penetrate my heart. The gospel. God's story of restoring His relationship with sinful man by sending Jesus to take the penalty of my sin. I'm more sinful than I ever dared believe, but more loved than I ever dared imagine - at the same time! I love that. My life's goal is to live out the gospel every day, empowered by the Holy Spirit. I want to see more of God's holiness and more of my sinfulness so that Christ will become increasingly greater in my life.

Wow, God

This is a rare glimpse into my life, as I don't tend to update often or even with specifics...
I am interning with Campus Crusade for Christ this coming year and I am spending my summer raising up a team of ministry partners who are excited about seeing people reached with the gospel of Christ. I began this support raising process officially on April 11 and currently have attained just over half of my goal! PRAISE the Lord! Wow, it is amazing to see Him provide!!
God, you are great.
Please pray with me that God will provide all of the support needed by me and my 2 friends who are also interning by August 10th.

Carried to the Table

A song that is very dear to me right now:

Wounded and forsaken
I was shattered by the fall
Broken and forgotten
Feeling lost and all alone
Summoned by the King
Into the Master’s courts
Lifted by the Savior
And cradled in His arms

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

Fighting thoughts of fear
And wondering why He called my name
Am I good enough to share this cup
This world has left me lame
Even in my weakness
The Savior called my name
In His Holy presence
I’m healed and unashamed

You carried me, my God
You carried me

...any of that resonate with you? I'd love to chat - because it's hitting my heart.

Purpose

I realize most of my readers are family members who probably know the general happenings of my life, so I won't go into details. I'm not really a fan of posting the specifics anyway. But if you'd like to know, I'd be more than happy to share :)

So.... hm. How does one explain the inner groanings of a heart? That feeling of knowing that there is a greater potential for oneself that has been yet to be reached? It is a longing for deeper love and companionship. It is a longing to be fully known- good and bad. It is a longing not conjured by oneself, but immediately upon waking, it too rises for the day. It is different in every person, yet completely the same.

My groaning has been met by the working of the Holy Spirit within me - speaking to the Father on behalf of my needs and desires. It has been met, but it also has grown to recognize the groanings, the longings, of others' hearts. Perhaps they don't even know that it exists in them, but He has allowed me to sense the cracked and aching hearts of other people. And my own heart groans all the more because they do not sense their own need. The pain of their chipped-away self-esteem from being rejected by parents or lovers extends to my own heart, which writhes with the pain of the dejection they must feel. And I groan, inwardly. God, can't they see? Can't they see that only you can understand the groaning and meet their needs? Why do they stay in the cycle of pain?

Tonight, my heart groans for those who long to have purpose. Who labor daily to attain, what? Money? Status? Glory for themselves? It's vanity and my heart groans because it must feel so hollow at the end of the day - at the end of a lifetime. Laboring for the glory of the Lord. That is purpose. The purpose.

Emotional Tank

Being a woman, I have this strong emotional side to me - whether I like it or not. Seemingly, when I feel emotions, they simply go deeper and are more encompassing in comparison to how a man might feel them. Anyway, why do I speak of this? Well, I heard a pastor a few years ago who every once in a while would address the men in the congregation, asking them, "have you asked how your wife's emotional tank is recently?" Now, I was in a relationship at the time, so I kind of thought that perhaps this idea of an emotional tank would also make sense for me, a woman in a relationship. I totally identified with what the pastor was saying and would often have to let my significant other know when my emotional tank was running low - when I needed a hug or some words of encouragement.
But being single - does that emotional tank still exist? (Yes... duh, I think) Who does one go to to fill that emotional tank? Will it ever feel the same as, as a single person, when the one who helps to fill the emotional tank is a committed relationship partner?
Okay, so this may be WAY to "touchy-feely"... I admit, it's pushing my standards as well. But legitimately - I think women have emotional tanks that get low sometimes, and of course God wants us to turn to Him for that emotional support, but I think he also provides people through whom He shows His affection. I guess I'm just saying... hugs are welcome, and so are words of encouragement :)

After the Tassle Turned

GRADUATION!

Well, my friends, it has been a while since I have blogged. I have thought about it many times, actually, but I was always waiting for... something. And not that "something" has happened, but I have thoughts to share. First, I guess you can see from the pictures that I graduated from college - and finally grew 8 inches to be as tall as my brothers! That day is a sweet memory - a once in a lifetime memory.

But the inevitable question is always, "what will be next?" I was contemplating many ideas during the month of December - mostly ideas of doing ministry in various places like East Asia, France or England. If not those, then I figured I would end up in Milwaukee... but God brought the idea into my head of doing ministry in a place that I had practically said I would never end up doing ministry as a staff member - back on the UW campus. As I prayed through this, I realized that God had been slowly leading me to this place and that it actually will be an experience that I will be passionate about. I will be interning with Campus Crusade for Christ for about 9 months. This position will allow me to build relationships with women who live in the dorms and share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you know me at all, you know that I am a highly relational person. I thrive upon having deep, heart-piercing conversations with people. As an intern, I will also be training leaders in evangelism and will be helping to build new spiritual movements on campus. This may sound strange to... many people... but personally, God has turned my world upside down and not living like this - not taking this incredible opportunity to get paid to have God-honoring relationships - that would be strange to me. From this place on campus, I also hope to share God's heart for the poor with students. His heart for the poor is His heart for me - for them, because we are all spiritually poverty-stricken without the richness of God's grace and the gift of Jesus in our lives. I would love, after this year, to be able to bring students with me to the city, where I hope to continue ministry.

"Bridget, I think I know where your name comes from - you bridge the gaps between people." - This sweet quote came from an acquaintance last year, and it clearly has left an impression upon my heart. Truly this captures my heart because nothing is so deeply moving to me as seeing hurt, broken people brought back together by forgiveness to have a reconciled relationship. Jesus is in the business of reconciliation - in fact, without him, broken people and relationships can never be fully healed. With this passion, I step forward in faith toward broken people, broken families... hurting people.

One of those broken people is myself, actually. The sin in my life is deep and gross. Sometimes it's so easy to become bogged down by the guilt of my transgressions, but thanks to my God who forgives, I can live in the freedom of his grace! It is my ambition to live in gratitude... and not in guilt. If I live in guilt, the attention is turned on me and how I have failed. But if I live in grace, the attention is turned on God and what He has done for me, His beloved! He gets all of the glory! And that is how it should be. Abba, help me to bring you glory by praising you for making my dead heart beat again.

East Asia Vision Trip

Finally! Thank you for all of you who kept asking me for an update about East Asia. I finally have the time and the sanity to tell you about this trip and other events that have been happening in my life. As a short recap, this past Thanksgiving break I went with 13 other students from Madison to travel to a large communist country in East Asia. The purpose of our trip was to see how God is working in people's lives on the other side of the world and to share the gospel with students at one of the top universities in that nation. Here is a picture of our whole group at the Great Wall:

What I can say about this trip is that I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go. Honestly, it was a really hard week for me. My heart was heavy over the question "Why am I here? What is my purpose in coming to this country?" It was dirty - the ground, the air, the water. I did not speak the language and was even illiterate. I felt very far from my friends and family and anything familiar. And I was frustrated with myself for having been willing to "go anywhere" for God when I was back in Madison, but for not feeling that when I was in East Asia. I was confronted with my own sinful, selfish nature and the realization that there is a lot left to be done in my heart in terms of surrendering my full self to God. In addition to all of this, I was trying to picture myself serving for a year in a ministry role in this country. I really wanted to say that I would follow God's call and come for a year-long internship, but my heart was very hard toward the idea. Looking back, I'm not really sure that God was calling me to that place for this next year. I think he wanted to show me the contrast between my stubborn, unwilling, anger-filled heart and his merciful, loving and redeeming heart.

During the week that our team from Madison was at this university in East Asia, we did see God working in the people's hearts. It was not our purpose to go teach them; it was our purpose to listen to them and to love them. We spent most of our days going on the campus in pairs so that we could approach people as they ate or walked around and ask them if they would be willing to talk with us about life and culture. One day my sharing partner, Jenna, and I stopped a girl named Tracy. She said that she had a lot to do, but she was willing to do it later on in order to spend time with us! What a sweet girl - we were able to go through the gospel with her and she had some really good questions. She said that she would want to think about what we shared with her and we connected her with the international staff so that they could talk more about spiritual things after our team left.

Meeting the people was probably the best part of this trip. It was striking that most of them had no knowledge of Jesus. In America, many people have a lot of baggage attached when spiritual conversations are brought up, but people in East Asia do not have this baggage. Their government blotted out religion as best they could this past century so that the people may only depend upon the government for all of their needs. With no chance to accumulate religious baggage, the students responded as interested listeners when we brought up spiritual topics. They had genuine questions about this God that loves them.

So, I am back now and have been thankful every day for blue skies, the English language, and the new friends that I made across the globe. I don't think that God is calling me to East Asia next year, but he has given me the vision for how he will be moving in people's hearts in this country to turn around and touch people's hearts in the most unreached places of the world.

Thank you so much for your love, support and prayers!

Please feel free to ask any questions or comments. Love, Bridget

An Update is Coming...

So, although I am a compulsive blog checker, I am almost certain that no one checks my blog compulsively, which is completely okay.
But if anyone would happen to look here for an update about my life and times, you would be disappointed. The update is that I've gone and come back to East Asia and am now in the midst of the final semester crunch. I would love to give you further details... when I don't have 10 things due that I should be working on. :)
So, until then...
You are loved.

Here's Life Senior Year

So, here it is. My last year - last semester - of college. I gotta say, it's been busy. Obviously - considering I haven't posted since September! And it's already November... oh boy.

Well, I honestly dislike giving laundry lists of the things that I have been up to. I'd rather talk on the phone (or even better, in person!) if you'd be interested in such things. :) No, my vision for this blog is to be an outlet for my thoughts, dreams, failures, hopes and prayers.

In just 2 1/2 weeks I will be leaving for a large communist country in East Asia. I am going with 14 other students for a week on a vision trip that will hopefully open my eyes further to what God's plan is for me and for His people around the world. I'm at the moment considering, along with a couple of other opportunities, spending a year in East Asia after I graduate.

You know, I know that wherever I end up, God is going to use me and help me grow in wonderful and unexpected ways. Sometimes I find myself just laughing at how worked up I can get over details of the future. It's all in His hands. I know that when all is said and done, I get to spend eternity with my savior. For the space in between, my goal is to love the way He does and to bring Him glory. It's going to be so fun. And really hard. But how could I live my life any differently and find satisfaction? Answer: I can't.

So... here I go. I'm diving in... dive with me :)


On a quite unrelated note, but under the category of recent events... this is my new buddy Nathaniel. Simply amazing. Holding a baby is like physically holding God's grace. I highly recommend it.

A Change in Seasons

Each day I have woken up in recent weeks it has started to feel a little more like fall. The air is cooler and the sun seems to be shining with an extra goldness that only comes in autumn. While the season of the year is changing, so is the season of my life. I have entered into my last semester as an undergraduate and the time has been sweet, but I can sense how quickly life is going to fly by me. I try not to take little things too seriously - like getting a parking ticket or having to buy ridiculously priced books. What has been increasing in importance in my life are relationships. With the women in my Bible study, with my family, with my coworkers. So many times a day God puts it on my heart to humanize the people around me and to see them with His eyes. That guy sitting in the grass looking like he's about to throw up has a name and a story. The girl who bumped into my friend and spilled her beer, blaming my friend - needs a lot of love. The drunk middle-aged people who don't realize that they are acting inappropriately - they need love. And me - quick to judge, to leave responsibilities for other people, and to get easily annoyed - I need God's love too.
My dear friend Cath, pictured above, leaves for Morocco tomorrow for a year and a half. She has taught me so much about what it means to live for Love and to die to self. I am so excited for this opportunity for her and this new season. What an absolutely amazing woman of God.
So... if anyone actually is still reading this, I'd like to hear from you. How are your seasons changing? What are you learning about or struggling with?
I used to think that once I got to college and figured out my life that the rest would be a cakewalk. I'd know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Now I'm just beginning to realize that living is what I want to do for the rest of my life - living and changing with the seasons.
May you all be blessed in your season of life.

Small Things, Big Love

Summer is dwindling down to a few weeks left in August and I have been left wondering what I have made of my months so far and what I will make of the weeks left. I find it really easy sometimes to fall prey to the lie that my worth comes from what I do and not who I am in Christ. What more could I do in my life that Christ hasn't already done? I mean, the guy was raised from the dead after dying for the sins of the world! Can I really outdo that? (The correct answer would be a blaring NO).
Well, one thing that I have done with my time this summer is read "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne. There's a lot that I love about this book, but the one quote that has stuck with me most is actually from Mother Teresa...

"We cannot do great things on this earth; we can only do small things with great love."

God has been using this quote as a gentle reminder to me that it is in the attitude of my heart when I clean up dishes and in the sincerity of a gift that's what matters to Him - and not the quantity or frequency of which I do these things (although they are not insignificant).
I pray that God would use me to do small things with great love each day. It is all I can do - and even then only by His strength.

The End of the Beginning

Well, as of today my time in Milwaukee is officially over. This past week has been a blur of activity as the staff team prepared to hand over the project to the students. For all of Campus Crusade's summer projects, there comes a point half way into the summer that the staff appoint new leadership roles to the students and then step out so that the students can take over for the rest of the project. That point was last night for our project and it was a very proud moment for me to see the students stepping into their new roles. There are new project directors, Bible study leaders, committee team leaders, and administration leaders. Each student is vitally important to the body!


This is the end of the beginning for the students. Now that they don't have the staff holding them back, they will soar to new levels. :) Please pray that as they step into these new positions that they would strive to take bigger steps of faith in sharing the gospel and rebuilding the walls of Milwaukee. Thank you all again for supporting me in being a part of this amazing summer!

This summer so far I have learned a great deal. One of the hugest things I have learned is that... there's always more to learn (my dear friend Cath has also helped open my eyes to that).
Top 5 things that I have learned from my time in Milwaukee:
5. Being a staff member on summer project is not all fun and games... but a good part of it is :)
4. People are people no matter what part of town you're in. God values each of his creations!
3. Humility is one of the greatest blessings I could receive because it has helped me to let others love me and to love others as God loves them.
2. Poverty is not caused by just one factor. It is a combination of personal responsibility, natural calamities, and systemical oppression. I have looked into the eyes of people who have no homes or jobs or family to support them and seen great sorrow. I have also seen that same look of sorrow in the eyes of people who make more money in a day than I could in a year. Everybody is poor in some way - it is only through the richness of God's grace that we have hope.
1. The gospel is not just how I became saved. It is how I make it through each day. God loves me SO MUCH that he let his beloved son die a bloody death for the penalty of my sins. I have chosen his life over my own because I know that on my own I fail miserably in this life. And I need his life every day!

"For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified." - 1 Corinthians 2:2

Experiencing Poverty Firsthand

Thursday morning I woke up at 5:00 am knowing that this was my last opportunity to shower and brush my teeth for several days. This was knowledge that our 14 students did not share with me because our staff team had kept the plans for our Poverty Simulation under wraps. At 5:30 am our students were told that they were entering the next phase of project - our Poverty Simulation. They were given 7 minutes to go back to their rooms to collect 3 personal items that they would like to keep with them for the next few days (up to a week) while they would be homeless. The clothes they chose to wear would be the clothes they were going to wear that whole time. Their keys and phones were taken and they were kicked out of the building at 7:00 am and told not to return until 5:30 pm. Wow! Well, there are certainly a lot more details that went into this simulation, but I don't want to give too much away. I was the only staff member to also take part in the simulation, which included sleeping on a hardwood floor, eating an average of 1 meal a day, and not showering for the several days that our simulation lasted.

I can truly say that I would not have been able to understand poverty as I do if I had not taken part in this simulation. But living in poverty as a simulation is nothing compared to the realities that people face every day in the world. It's true that this experience was aimed at getting us to understand the physical poverty that people face, but its goal was also to show us the spiritual poverty that everyone has.

Smelly, uneducated, lazy, oppressed, on the wrong end of calamity, and without hope. Physically, yes, there are many people in the world who fit this description. Spiritually, absolutely everyone fits this description:

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:1-5

Beloved, without Christ we are all spiritually poor and there is very little that is appealing about us. But thank the Lord for his HUGE grace! He has made us alive in Christ!

Upside Down Kingdom

Our theme for this summer is "Upside Down Kingdom." This idea is based upon how Jesus lived when he walked this earth and what he taught. In his famous sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke these words:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Did you get that? We are blessed when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn, when we're meek, when we're insulted... Does that seem upside down in comparison to the values of this world?
Doesn't everything around us say that people are blessed when they get rich, look out for themselves, diet and exercise to be exactly the right shape...?

Our students get to experience firsthand how God's kingdom is upside down compared to what our world values. In our first weekly meeting last Tuesday night, our director Erick talked on exactly this topic.

In other events of this past week, I had a little fun with the girls in my action group by having them create small boats out of various materials that had to transport 3 stones across trays of water. But the girls couldn't use their hands:


Also, I was thoroughly celebrated on my birthday and throughout the week with lots of different sweets, gifts and other fun surprises :)

In Full Swing!

Well, the students all arrived safely about 11 days ago now and it has been a whirlwind since. We have gone through hours upon hours of training, plus loads of free time! (Okay...so the free time was an exaggeration - that first week was rather tight with activities, but we did have a chance to play some games and get some custard.)
Let me introduce you to our students...

Above are the men (including staff men), from left to right:
Erick, Kirk, Enoch, Josh, Nate, Andrew, Ben, Chris, Jeff and Thad.Above are the women, from left to right:
Gretchen, Sarah, Heidi, Shira, Annie, Ashley, Kaylan, Megan and Elisa.

I am leading an Action Group, which is a fancy name for Bible study, and our group has five women. Sarah, Shira, Ashley, Kaylan and Elisa are the women in my Action Group. I am so excited about getting to know these women. They all have different backgrounds, but one thing they do share: they are all very QUIET. Man, I thought I was a shy person, but about 12 out of the 14 members of our group are extreme introverts! It was painful at times getting them to talk. The good thing is that in our small group, the women have really been opening up and it's so evident that God is working in their hearts.

This week 5 of the students are serving breakfast each morning at a local food pantry and are getting the opportunity to not only serve the guests, but also start conversations with the guests and with other volunteers about spiritual topics.
The other 9 students are either starting their full time jobs for the summer or are in the process of job searching. These students will be working every day with coworkers that they'll have opportunities to have spiritual conversations with.

Please be praying for:
-opportunities and boldness to share the gospel at the food pantry and at work places
-unity of the group
-God's preparation of the students to step into leadership once the staff leaves in July

Thank you all! I don't want to make my blogs too long and tedious to read, so I didn't include much detail, but if you would like to hear more, I'd be happy to share :)

Meet the Staff!

From left to right:
Me :)
Andrea Urban - On staff with Here's Life Inner City - Milwaukee. She is our Associate Project Director, which means that she's our head honcho for the women and a stinkin' awesome social activities coordinator.
Erick Lettner - Campus director with Campus Crusade for Christ for the Milwaukee Metro area. He is our Project Director, which means that he's leading our men and is heading up our weekly meeting team.
Jeff Hoffman - Director of Here's Life Inner City - Milwaukee. This man has an extraordinary heart for Milwaukee. He is around for the first 2 weeks of project and is helping with finances and a lot of behind the scenes work that he probably doesn't get enough credit for.
Kirk Johnson - On staff with Greater Iowa. I feel like Kirk is a surfer at heart because of all the "dudes" he throws into conversation. He is also helping lead the men and will be coordinating outreaches.
Kara Atkinson - On staff with Here's Life Inner City - Milwaukee. Kara has one of the hardest jobs, I think. She is coordinating all of our meals (wow!) and taking care of finances and coordinating with our ministry partners. This girl is not getting enough credit for her hard work.

This week has been great preparing for our students to come. We have gotten quite a bit done and have had some great times getting to know one another as a staff team.

The students arrive TODAY and we are just so excited to have them, although I think we're all kind of feeling a bit of "I wish we had more time to prepare!" But things are coming along for the most part. I've had so many details running through my head, but the most important thing that I've been reminded of is that God needs to be my number one priority. Without keeping that perspective, all these details are pretty worthless.

Please be praying for the students' travels today and that all goes according to God's plan!