Cedar Valley

I know that I haven't been all that great with keep everyone up to what has been going on with me at YWAM. So I thought it was about time I write a little about what has been going on with me.

A few months back, the leader of Cedar Valley, Hannah, had called to inquire about bringing a group during spring break. Right away I had asked if I could work with them. I got the chance to work with them last year and just got excited that they were coming again. It was just so cool to be able to see God work in these students lives this last week. You could just see from their eyes when they first got to the base, they didn't understand why they were here. For a lot of the kids, this was there first time seeing the people on the streets just right in front of your face and just every where.

As it says in the song Hosanna, "Break my heart for what breaks yours," that is what God surly did. These students were beginning to see these people through Gods eyes and building relationship with the people that they will forever remember.

Not only was this team a blessing to the people on the streets, but a blessing to me. At the end of the week, after final debrief, they put Carriennae, Mikel and I, in the middle of the circle and did affirmation for us, which is something I am not good with. I never know what to do with it and a lot of the times, I don't believe in myself with everything that is being given to me. But I have to say that for the first time I was able to take in everything that everyone was saying and be encouraged by it. And believe in the truth that was being said about me. It was just so cool to see this group, that I have only gotten to know in a matter of a week and just be able to say just positive and up lifting words to me. I don't think they will ever understand how much they have impacted me.

To see all these students just being so bold. Not allowing anything to hold them back. A few of them had a hard time in the beginning of the week, but they didn't allow that to effect their week. But they just got right back up and end out their on the streets and kept showing God's love to the people on the streets.

This group just became my family. In one week, I laughed with them and cried with them. This group just filled me up with so much energy and strength that I had been lacking. It is like God used them to breath that into my life. I just love the way that God works.

I am excited to get the chance to go and visit my Iowa family in September.

count down

The count down has begun. In one month I will be flying home. With going home I never know what it is going to be like. I will be home for a month, but in that time I will be doing a lot. I will be going in for my second knee surgery, but this time it will be on my left knee. Not sure what they will be going int to do. Something I will be finding out when I go in for pre-op.

A few days after surgery, the MA staff will be driving down and we will be going to the Urban Youth Worker Conference. This is something that I am excited about. I think it will get me pumped for summer and just give me a new insight on things with working with youth.

After that I will take a drive back to Ventura, where I will then spend another week at home just chilling and recovering.

I'm excited to get the chance to see my friends who will be home from college. Hang out with people from church and the fam. And of course, going up to my second home, camp, and spending some time.

I don't think I really realized how much I have missed camp until last week when I was looking at old pictures. Just going back in time, when I basically lived eat, breathed and lived camp. i just remember there where times in the summer where I wouldn't come home for like 10 days, because I was at camp. Camp was my life and I loved it. It was a place that I loved and felt I could be my self. It was my second home!