An Awesome Summer!

Hey everybody!

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated my blog. We are about 3 and 1/2 weeks into project and so far it has been an awesome experience! God has been definitely been working here in Santa Monica this summer and it's been awesome to be a part of it. Here's how project has been going down.

Work:

So I've been working at UCLA Summer Camps these past 3 weeks and it's been a really great experience. Basically, the first week was about 40 hours of training was a long time. haha. Part of it was pretty boring as we were sitting on the floor listening to people talk about child safety, sunburns, and how to talk to parents. But other parts were pretty awesome as we got to do a challenge course. It was a really great learning experience about trusting others and how we have to work as a team which really relates to the body of christ and how we should be united. Also, for camp we each had to pick a camp name and my name is "Lightning". haha I thought it was pretty cool. So what I'm basically going to be doing at UCLA is working at the sports camp and play sports with children ages 7-10. The last two weeks were spent playing soccer so that was pretty fun. Getting to know my fellow counselors these past 3 weeks has been great!

Project:

So basically this project has been such a blessing for me. Living with 69 other students at one place and seeing God transforming people has been a awesome! Basically God has been teaching me how important it is for me to listen to people when I am going sharing around Santa Monica. We have had two guest speakers while I have been hear and one of them was all about asking questions. You form better relationships with people if you continue to ask questions about them and that's what we were applying when we went sharing in santa monica. It doesn't come across as an attack when you are asking people what they believe or why they believe that and such and such. There are a lot of people out there who don't really care about other people's ideas or beliefs but only want to share what others believe. This has definitely played a part in hardening people's hearts against christianity and God. Not many people have ever been in deep spiritual conversations because they don't want other people shoving down their ideas upon them. And then the last speaker was all about listening to what other people have to say and not trying to bring the spotlight upon you but allowing them to talk first and begin to ask questions. So basically it has been a great learning experience. Staff leaves in three days so that should be interesting. Now all of the students are going to be leading this project so it should definitely be a great way to grow in leadership areas!

Prayer Requests:

1) That I would be able to bring up spiritual conversations with the people I work with. Sleepy, Monkey, Violet, Quix, Ropes and Twizler. (Camp names) That God would give me boldness and patience to listen to them. God is in control!

2) That our community would truly be a depiction of the Body of Christ and we would grow in Unity every day!

3) That the hearts of the people here would open up and the people would be interested in hearing what we have to say.

Thanks for the prayers! I greatly appreciate it!

Unending Love!

Hey Everybody. So I'm just about done with my 3rd day on project and it is pretty much awesome and it's looking to be a very faith growing summer for everyone here! I feel like I've already been here for a month but it's only been 3 days. Every day I'm getting to know each student here and it's just been a blast. (4 hours later) So I was planning on putting the title as "Gearing up for Battle" and wrote a bit of my blog but decided to hang out with some people and take a break. So I went to the area where we hang out (A.K.A. The Promise Land) and they were just starting up some worship. And after about 45 min I'm pretty sure that all 71 of us college students were worshiping God with all we've got! It was AWESOME! This was definitely one of the best worship sessions of my life. Every one was so on fire for God and I could just feel the love of God with us. So Good!!! People were talking about how encouraged they were and how God is just working in them. Then we were praying and it was amazing! I got to end the prayer and I could just feel God speaking through me. Such a good feeling. Isn't it awesome that this feeling is what we were meant to feel and what we are going to feel in eternity with Jesus? God's Love is just so BIG AND THICK! Then we decided to go to the beach and pray and worship there for the next 3 hours. I just love my Santa Monica family so much and I've only known them for 3 days! Anyway that's what I wanted to share with you all. This is what we did the rest of the days.

On Friday:

We got in our Action groups (groups where we meet and talk/learn/grow) and we talked to each other and spent a good amount of time getting to know each other. Then we had some quiet time with God and it was pretty awesome as we we spent the time trying to surrender everything to God this summer so we could fully grow. Then we were to the 3rd street Promenade and asked questions to people to get to know what the people of Santa Monica's world views were. It was pretty cool to talk and meet with people. There were people there that were just yelling at people telling them that they are going to yell and there were just so many people that were angry. I can just see that people were just hardening their hearts to the Gospel and it was pretty sad to see. But God can definitely turn something into a good thing.

On Saturday:

We learned a new approach to share the gospel. It's called the "Backstory". The four spiritual laws is a Systematic approach and we were then learning about a Narrative approach. It was pretty cool to hear but sort of confusing. We then went out and tried to talk to people about Jesus in Santa Monica. I got to talk to three people about Jesus and it was really cool to see how they just didn't push it away but were willing to listen. When lady even said "I wish there was something I could believe in that wasn't religious." Or something like that. It was a perfect opportunity.

On Sunday:

We went to church and then we heard a speaker talk about affecting the lives of the people we want to share with and just connecting with them. Then 2 others and I went to our staff meeting for our job at UCLA Summer Camps. It was really long and after we went to eat at In-N-Out and what a surprise it was to see about half of our summer project there too! Then the events a stated above happened. Worship! Thanks for all the prayers! I start training tomorrow for my summer job! Woot!

Prayer Requests:

1) That we would continue to grow in Jesus and build in our relationships with each other.

2) Health: My cough is almost gone! Hopefully it's gone soon!

3) Support: I'm not really sure how much I need at the moment but I believe it's around $500.

4) I'm still trying to work out getting my certificates and I need them by next monday! But I know God will just work everything out!

Romans 8: 31-39

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Arrived at Santa Monica!!!

So I finally arrived at Santa Monica after using the train, a bus, and getting picked up by another student from USC who's on the same project. The ride over here was pretty good. I got to spend quite a lot of time praying and reading the bible. During my quite time, God was really showing me that I needed to give him everything, every single part of me, this summer and for the rest of my life. I spent a lot of time reflecting on Romans 12:1 which is where Paul says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." I just know God is going to do amazing things here in Santa Monica and have us grow so much closer and deeper in our relationship with Jesus! Just hearing what the mission was for the Santa Monica Project was when it started 6 years ago (I think) just made me so excited to be here for the next 8 weeks. It was awesome getting to meet everyone today and I can't wait to get to know everyone better. So far, my 5 roommates are pretty awesome. We'll see though... haha! :) For free time today a big group of us all went and walked to the Santa Monica Pier. It was pretty awesome and was a great way to enlarge my excitement for project. On the pier we met a japanese music performer who seemed to be excited to hear that we were all on a mission's trip. For those of you who don't know, I went to a Summer Project to Tokyo, Japan last summer for 5 weeks and it was just an amazing summer. Yeah Tokyo! God grew me so much in my faith then and just seeing this man just helped me realize that God is going to shape me He wants me to be and it's going to be amazing!!! Hopefully I will remember everyone's name soon... so many people!

Prayer Requests:

1) I've been coughing for the past 3 weeks now and it hasn't gone away yet. Please pray that I would get better soon. It seems to be getting better but I hope that it doesn't get worse again.

2) That I would take time each and every day to spend time with Jesus. Especially in prayer. God has definitely been showing me lately how important prayer is.

3) That God would be at the center of this project and we would let God be in control.

4) I just recently was accepted into a Summer Camp at UCLA as a Camp Counselor for 2nd-5th graders and I still have to get my First Aid and CPR certificate by june 21st. If I don't get it by then I won't be able to go to the camp.

Open our hearts,
To see the things
That make Your heart cry,
To be the church
The You would desire.
Light to be seen.

Break down our pride,
And all the walls
We've built up inside,
Our earthly crowns
And all our desires,
We lay at Your feet.

So let hope rise,
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light,
And every eye will see
Jesus, our God,
Great and mighty to be praised.

God of all days,
Glorious in all of Your ways.
Your majesty, the wonder and grace,
In the light of Your name.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout for your glory.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout forth your praise.

Our hearts will cry
Be glorified,
Be lifted high,
Above all names.
For You our King,
With everything,
We will shout forth your praise.

- With Everything by Hillsong