I'm here!

On May 22 I flew to Denver, CO to begin my YouthWorks! training. I started the trek at 3 am and arrived in Dever around noon to begin my day...which was 10:30 in the morning their time. Over the last few days I have sat through endless meetings, learned more than my brain can handle, made some great new friendships, and most importantly heard God's voice. Through all of it I'm learning to just go into my job being me and livin' it up for Jesus. I'm thrilled to be going to my site.

I'll actually be staying in Rushville, Nebraska in a middle school. That is where our participants will come and stay and where I'll pretty much live. For the next couple weeks we'll be setting up the site and have our first set of participants. It's a group of 16 and we'll have alumni staff running our site so that we can learn from them. However...I may be the only new staff person doing my job alongside alumni staff...intimidating. I am excited though. I have spent time organizing my talks and now I just have to put together all the night services. I can't wait to see how God uses all of it!!! I would love all of your prayers toward God's provision and wisdom over me. I know it is only on His power that I can be used!

The dart landed on...

I have decided to work with YouthWorks this summer and will be serving as Program Staff for them. (Side note: YouthWorks is a short-term missions organization working with Jr./Sr. High youth groups, I will be doing several things such as nightly speaker, making sure budgeting goes smoothly, working with community leaders, scheduling service projects, coordinating nightly events, heading the worship team, leading drama, putting together all meals, grocery shopping, and basically tying any other loose ends.)

As for me and the next few months...well...we serve a hilarious God. Many of you know how I really had my heart set on some sort of coastal inner-city. I mean the whole urban thing is sort of my deal, right? mmmhmm...I'm placed in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. If you're like me you just said to yourself "Where on earth is Pine Ridge, South Dakota??" Well, it's on an American Indian Reservation with 85% unemployment, 50% high school drop out rates, deep poverty and rampant alcoholism. It's not what I was thinking, but I know that every time God shakes things up it turns out WAY better than my attempts at scrapping things together. And those statistics have A LOT of hurting lives behind them. I just want to travel and love people and this is an opportunity that will more than fulfill that. The more I hear about it the more I realize that there are still many of the same issues of desperation that I am passionate about for the inner-city.

I would SO appreciate each of your prayers and words as I head out for this summer. I have no doubt that it will be a rough learning time yet so entirely fulfilling. I am thrilled to see what God has set up for me to gain from all of it!