Childlike Wonder: Week 2

This week has been jam-packed. On Tuesday, Melissa and Austin showed a documentary of The Road to the teens. It's about the genocide that is occurring in Burma. It is a really graphic and honest documentation of a current genocide. In the evening, we wrote letters to the Karen people in Burma - words of encouragement and prayers. It felt really good to be doing something tangible to help these people who so badly need help. If you're interested in watching the documentary or learning more about it, go here.

On Wednesday, I told my testimony and talked about my journey to Christ in front of the teens. It was a super cool experience for me. For the first time, I was able to tell my testimony honestly and completely and I felt no guilt or bitterness when I was through talking. It was such an eye-opening moment for me - God really is healing me. (:
After I was through talking, Jon taught about the idea of God as our Father. It was a really concise and cool teaching and I think it really got the kids to open up.
Wednesday night was guys/ girls night. After some praise and worship, Melissa, Kendra, Sarah and I each talked about a particular struggle that we are going through currently: feeling unworthy, self-image, being at peace with oneself, and fear. After we were done sharing, we asked the girls to pick a leader and spend some time with them in hopes that we could support and encourage each other in our alike struggles. To see the group of girls I lead come together, be vulnerable with each other, and then desire to encourage each other in big ways was stunning. It was such a wonderful night of sharing. It proved how alone we are NOT in the body of Christ.

Thursday we focused on the inviting God and ended the day with a bonfire. I got to spend some time with Hannah and enjoy finally being with her! I love my sister (: God is really going to move through us for each other this summer.

Thursday night, I stayed up ridiculously late with Josh and Shawn. We were able to have awesome conversation and provide encouragement for one another in our trials. It was just so wonderful to be able to be real with some brothers in Christ and be treated with love and respect and as a sister in return. We ate numerous packages of gummies and talked about everything from testimonies to pokemon.

The prayer walk and tower happened again Friday. It was beautiful and the Holy Spirit was so present. I was given the opportunity to pray over some girls again and have God use me.
Molly also came up to me on Friday night and asked if she could give me a hug. Man, I love this girl. God had definitely blessed me with meeting her and having an opportunity to hang out with her more than I originally expected. Going from Monday when she barely would let me hold her hand or put my arm around her to Friday where she was asking to give me a hug. Watching her heart transform this weekend was my seeing a miracle progress throughout the week. She left a different person. I know God has other things planned for this summer, but honestly, if she was the one gift and blessing God has planned for me, I would leave Maranatha happy. Molly is a beautiful woman who so cleary exhibits 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Friday night was a night unlike any I have had. Jon knocked on the girls side of the dorm around midnight saying that Shawn needed some prayers. The following thirty to sixty minutes consisted of intense prayer for Shawn and spiritual warfare like I have never experienced.

Saturday was a definite welcome from the busy and intense week we all had just had. The UC Maranatha teen staff drove to Chicago and spent our day walking (lots and lots and lots of walking) and eating (also lots of eating) and enjoying each other's company with laughter and jokes. It was such fun!