Kicking Off

Last Sunday I was running around making sure that the tables were set, that handouts were printed, and that I had run over the names of our new students one more time, as we prepared to welcome the Kairos class of 2009. 14 brand new faces stood in an awkward huddle, feeling both anticipation and nervousness, as they all met for the first time. We left for our Orientation Monday morning and after a series of; group games, worship, high ropes, and a zip line,we returned with no trace of awkwardness. This is gonna be a good year!

In this class we have 6 girls, 7 guys, and 1 brand new intern. I am leading a small group this year, and I have 3 of the sweetest girls you will ever meet. I am excited to see how God is gonna work!

Ways to Pray:

*That God will give me the wisdom I need in my small group times.

*Teachable hearts- for me, the staff, and the students

*Finances

*Thanking God for what He has already done, and is planning to do!

God is at work in Honduras

God is doing incredible things in the country of Honduras! This is my second year going back to this beautiful place, and it is very exciting to be able to see the way that God has worked over the past year. We partnered up with a ministry called Mercy International, who have a passion for the Linka Indians in the Opalaca Mountain range. In order to reach the Linkas we first had to drive 4 hours up the mountains on very bad roads, then hike the rest of the way into the villages. The first village we went to was San Padrito, which is actually one of the villages we visited last year. It was amazing to see the difference in the people after only a year. Last year they stood on the outskirts and watched us. This year they interacted with us. The children would come right up and sit on our laps, and the leaders of the village played soccer or “fúbol” with us On the first day in that village we did a construction project and the owners of the house came to us and asked if we would pray with them. We lead their whole family to Christ that afternoon, it was incredible. While we were there we also held a VBS for the children and provided for their medical needs. I loved showing God’s love to them in practical ways. We then hiked for 4 hours to get to the second village of Agua Caliente. On the last night we held a church service inside one of the homes of a young Christian couple from the village. There were so many people there that it was standing room only, and there were people who had there heads in the windows and who were listening through the doors. The Mercy International staff remarked that it was very rare to see the number of men who were there. It was typically the women and the children who came to the services. We are praying that God is at work with the men in those villages, that they would come to see what it means to be a man of God. Changes are happening in Honduras. God is moving and working among the people and it has been incredible to be part of it.

Finished with Blitz...and Heading to Honduras!

We just finished our two and a half week speaking "blitz" around the midwest. We traveled to Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois going to different youth groups, schools, and churches encouraging youth to get out of their comfort zones and get involved in missions. We also did different work projects to help out with practical needs. Our students painted houses, hung ceilings, and served at a local homeless shelter. One of my favorite work projects was hanging ceilings. This lady named Minnie had a leak in her roof for years, and did not have the finances to fix it. Someone heard about her situation and fixed her roof, and then we got the chance to fix her ceiling. She has been a light in her community for years, and gives of herself constantly. It was amazing to be able to give back to her for a change.
We had incredible things happen over the last two weeks. On the first day we did our performance for a Church, and at the end one person actually gave their heart to Christ. It was incredible!
Overall it was a very exciting experience.

In four days our group will be heading to Honduras to share Christ with the people there. We will be meeting practical needs through medical clinics, and construction projects. We will also have a VBS for the kids. I am very excited because this will be the first time I will be going back to the same country. I am looking forward to seeing some of the people that I got to know last year. I will also have the opportunity to see the changes that have happened since last year. I look forward to seeing the family living in the mud hut we helped build, and living on the cement floors we laid. I know that God is going to do big things there this year, and I am looking forward to being part of it.