College Summers: San Diego

I spent my college summers doing Summer Missions— China, Myrtle Beach, Kanakuk Kamps, and one full summer in Colorado Springs at the Focus Leadership Institute. These opportunities were ways to serve others, yet as is often the case, these were major blessings in my life and made an impacting change in my life. I still have solid friendships with people that I met during these adventures.

My sister, Laura, is a part of a summer mission project in San Diego right now. It’s crazy to think that she’s even old enough to be in California without an adult, but more so to hear her talk about her faith in such an adult manor. Since when did my little sister (seven years younger!) become so mature in relationship with Christ?
 
I want to share with you what Laura has written about her summer. Her willingness to follow the Lord’s calling is amazing—even when it meant not spending her summer with her niece and nephew, not traveling with friends on fun road trips and vacations, and to potentially cease involvement in her much loved sorority simply to pay for her trip. It’s kind of long, but I condensed it a little bit—there is just too much good stuff and I’m just really proud.

Hello! I am spending my summer in San Diego on a Summer Project through the campus ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ! I have decided to give you a better glimpse of what I am doing here, how God is using me, and what will this trip look like long-term in my life! 

I have experienced in-depth Bible teaching through the preaching of the staff here on project. The staff  directing the project are some of the most respectable, God-centered, faithful, and intelligent leaders I have been blessed to grow with so far this summer. At each meeting, we start with a devotion to center or hearts and minds on our purpose for being here on project. We are constantly filled with the Word and are blessed with leaders who we can look up to to understand what it means to surrender our lives to Christ. 

The opportunities to not only influence Americans, but people from numerous other nationalities here in San Diego are tremendous. As we go sharing at San Diego State University, there are more than 1,900 international students from more than 95 countries*. God has already placed me in spiritual conversations with an undergrad girl from the Philippines, a Muslim girl with a Political Science major, and a girl going on a college tour planning on moving to the States in the fall from Germany. Those are just to name a few! While on the beach I have been able to share the Gospel with a 19 year old boy from France; also, a high school boy at a bus stop about my faith, whose family still lives in Mexico and has an uncle who just started taking him to a Christian church! 

While gaining new experiences of different types of evangelism and just simply sharing with all different types of people, I can feel the Holy Spirit changing not only the way I want to live my life glorifying God when I get home, but also placing in me such a life-long, deep desire to use these skills and experiences to lead others to an understanding of what it means to live a life, not just filling up with the Good News, but also pouring out the beautiful redemption we have received through faith! I am so excited to see how God will use me when I am back in my ‘comfort zone’ of school, familiar friends, and family! 

I have felt a calling for ministry for the rest of my life throughout this past school year; with this, I know that my summer spent here is not just preparing me for my next 2 years at Missouri State, but for a lifetime of professing my faith in Christ throughout the world. God is growing me and preparing my heart to take the Good News to the numerous unreached peoples of this world. 

While on the San Diego Summer Project, we will be living the last 4 ½ weeks without the project staff here. During this time, students will be given the chance to take over the many leadership roles and gain the experience of being a leader in a big way! These leadership positions will not only influence us now, but will be an experience that will help shape us as we continue to live our lives God-centered.
Something unique about the state-side Summer Projects, is that we have the chance to get jobs or volunteer and begin to live life here, proclaiming the Gospel, as we will when we get back home. We have a weekly meeting called Friday Night Live where we are encouraged to invite our fellow employees and students we meet on campus so that they may hear the gospel and see what a Christ-centered community truly looks like. 

I am still short on my support, God placed it on my heart to be here this summer and that He is using me and growing me in ways I could not expect He would. Please read through and consider, through prayer, helping me reach my final support goal! I have about 10 days to raise $1400. Thank you! Again, I encourage you to consider, through prayer supporting me; and to remember that you are giving for me to be here, but I am here to further the glory of God!
If you would like to help me financially, you can donate through this site.

Whew. Don’t you wish you had the guts to talk about your faith to a boy at a bus stop? There is great stuff happening over in San Diego this summer. There are over 100 Campus-Crusade-for-Christ-ers there with her.

I wanted to share this, regardless of if you can contribute or not! But if you’re at a place in life where you can spare some funds to help—it will definitely help change lives. She misses home and covets encouragement too! Leave a comment and I’ll be sure to pass it along to her!

And here are a few pics that I borrowed from her friends off facebook!

Girl time—Laura is in the black tiger sweatshirt.

Yes, that’s my sister acting all ghetto in front. I’m holding onto this one to show her future children!

Not sure what’s going on here—but then, she probably doesn’t either…

It's officially Christmas time

I love, love, LOVE this time of year! We decorated our tree last week and Jackson has worked on un-decorating it ever since. We've danced around the house to fun Christmas music. I've gotten the chance to pick up a few presents, but have really enjoyed just focusing more meaningful aspects of the holiday!

This morning at our church, the women's ministry put together a Christmas Around the World brunch and it was fabulous. Two full-time missionaries came to speak about their life, the ministry opportunities they have, and how Christmas is celebrated where they serve. One serves as a Bible translator in Tanzania (I am still currently in awe about the work that goes into that process!) and the other was my cousin, Andrea who serves with the IMB in Prague, Czech Republic. They have been back in the states since the summer and it's been nice to visit and hang out with them at family functions, but it was really neat to hear Andrea speak specifically about their role as missionaries.

I spoke for a quick minute about shopping for Fair Trade products this Christmas. Not only will you be purchasing a nice gift for someone, you will be purchasing a product that allows a woman to live a free life and to not become a victim of sex trafficking. Really, you should check out this site for some great gift ideas: purses, jewelry, home decor.

Julie even sang Silent Night in Danish for the entire group! How awesome is she?! 

Jackson is a wonderful (most of the time) age. He picks up new things everyday and continually surprises me with his ability to learn. He loves Christmas lights, "Chrisy lights!!! Petty!" and he can sing along to Jingle Bells and The Little Drummer Boy. I've spent a good part of the week trying to figure out the best ways to teach him about the real meaning of Christmas and decided that a toy nativity scene would be crucial. Those suckers are expensive, so I made sure to browse Craigslist and found a set brand new set just waiting for us.

We got it out to play today. He can point out Mary ("Ma-mi"), Joseph ("Joset" aka "the Daddy"), and baby Jesus ("ssshhh, ni-nite"), all of the animals, and the angel too. It is so sweet. Even when he puts the donkey on top of the stable leaving the angel to eat from the troughs, I just love knowing that he's learning about the story of Jesus and he is capable of understand it all. I am hoping to get to the library to pick up some good books and will be sure to print off some coloring sheets and stuff to use over the next couple weeks.

I've decided that there is something about having a kid that really brings out the urge to focus more on the real meaning of Christmas. And it's so much more fun to look forward to Derek coming home than about opening presents. This really is a wonderful time of year!