Goodbye Milwaukee!

Hellooo from Milwaukee (for the last time)!
Yes, I'm sure you are all sooo disappointed this is my last blog! Or not. =) But despite whichever feelings you may have, this is my last post! Project officially ends Saturday and I will be making the long drive back to Ohio! This week has been pretty relaxed. Yesterday we spent the morning packing about 400 backpacks to give out for the upcoming school year, and we had the rest of the afternoon off. In the evening we had our last action group meeting. Erin, our study leader, was so sweet and cooked all afternoon and took us to eat by the Lake. We didn't have a typical study, instead, we had made letters of appreciation for one other person in our group and shared them with each other. It was a special way to end our last action group together. I love these girls and I will miss them when we leave. They have been such a blessing to me, and I have learned so much from each one. I thank God for the awesome unity He's provided this summer! It's been so awesome to experience such uplifting and encouraging community. I seriously cannot thank the Lord enough!

Today we had the day off. Many people from our team went sightseeing, and myself and two other girls spent the day frying at the beach! We couldn't have asked for better weather! 85 and not a cloud in the sky! Unfortunately now the three of us are limping around City on a Hill =) ahhh, what would my mother say? Actually, I think I can hear her now, saying something like "Erica, that is just stupid. That's what you get for not wearing sunscreen! (etc). Hmmm, will I ever learn? It's doubtful. ANYWHO! It was a wonderful day. Tomorrow we're spending the day cleaning City on a Hill and packing, and then Thursday we're off to the Wisconsin Dells for our retreat where we'll be meeting up with some of the staff who were here earlier on project. We're staying at the Kalahari which is a waterpark resort. It should be a good time; I'm really looking forward to it!

Overall, this summer has been absolutely wonderful, and the Lord has taught me so much! Months before coming to project, I had my heart set on an internship in Florida. I must admit that I was a little disappointed when I felt like God wanted me to come to Milwaukee instead. But I was able to come with confidence because I know the Lord works in my best interest, and I was excited knowing that He was going to use me to further His kingdom and glorify Him by serving. Coming to project really was the best decision, and I'm thankful that He brought me here! Through the last 8 weeks, I've experience a lot, and I've been able to grow so much in my relationship with the Lord. My biblical knowledge has grown as well as my desire and love for my Savior! I've been able to release the bondage to sin in areas of my life that I've struggled with for a long time, and more specifically He's freed me from dependence on anti-depressants! There aren't words to describe my thanksgiving and joy for the freedom He's allowed me to have! God really has changed my life and my heart this summer, and I'm so pumped to take everything back to campus and continue serving Him!

I want to thank those who have supported me whether by prayer or financially! I couldn't have made it here without you! I am so grateful.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Always with love,
Erica

Week Seven...Say what?!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7

Friday morning we were suppose to work in the community garden, but as soon as we got there, met the other workers, and pounded about 3 nails in, it started to rain...and our plans once again changed. Surprising? Not at all. It's rained a lot here actually, and there's been some bad flooding. I'll try to attach pictures. Anyways, so we spent Friday cleaning for the Hoffman's again and trying clean up the water that's come through their roof. Talk about bad timing for their family since their van also just got stolen last week. I know they'd appreciate your prayers!

So this was suppose to be our second week at God's Kidz in the Hood, but since that's still not an option, we are helping out the sister church of Hopewell. Technically it's not a VBS-type program, like we typically have done. This program is more so just to provide a safe place with activities for kids to get them off the streets. Three of the kids (all siblings) we've worked with before at Hopewell, but just recently one of their close friends was shot and killed. I've been able to form a close relationship with one of the girls, Shemirah (9), and I really do believe that God has brought us back to these same kids for this reason. These kids live in a tough neighborhood, where tragedy like this strike often...They need to know that they are loved...by us, but more importantly by Christ. Today Shemirah told me she was scared...Children shouldn't have to live in fear...My desire is that she'll come to truly know Christ, and experience the security and comfort and the abundant Life He offers! The funeral is this week...please keep their family in your prayers.

Waking up to another dark morning
People are mourning
The weather in life outside is storming
But what would it take for the clouds to break
For us to realize each day
Is a gift somehow, someway
And get our heads up out of this darkness
And spark this new mindset and start on with life 'cause it ain't gone yet
And tragedy's a reminder to take off the blinders and wake up
Live the life we're supposed to take up
Moving forward with all our heads up
'Cause life is worth living
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
'Cause the days we are given are gifts from above
Today we remember to live and to love

I am what I believe

This week at the last minute our ministry team had a change of plan. We were originally supposed to go to God's Kidz in the Hood, but the mom has a medical condition and the doctor's orders were that she had to temporary send all the kids away because they're technically 'homeless'. It's a really sad situation, but we're hopeful that the Lord will heal her and the children will be able to go back soon! So instead, we decided to work in a nearby neighborhood (Jeff and Sarah's place). On Monday, we picked up trash all afternoon with the intent to share our faith with people who were just hangin' out on their porches (which is a frequent occurrence here). My group didn't get to have any spiritual conversations, but we were able to serve the Lord and the community, so overall, it was worth it! Yesterday and today we attempted to have an informal Jesus Club with the kids of the neighborhood. The first day we only had two kids come. Today, only one. There's tons of kids who live in this area, so it was very unusual that none of them were outside. It's also been a little discouraging because we're available to reach out to this community and we desperately want to pour into these children but there's not much we can do when none come. But! I know the Lord is faithful and He'll use us in any way He chooses!

Tomorrow we're going over to the same neighborhood, but this time we're helping a group made up of mostly teenagers from the city put in a community garden. We're hoping to make connections and share the Gospel working beside them all morning. Afterward, we're going out with one of the jr/high school groups that are here at City on a Hill and doing initiative evangelism all afternoon. Back on campus I've done a lot of initiative evangelism but doing it in the inner city is definitely different...you never know what to expect. But God ALWAYS shows up, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow!

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." - CS Lewis

I'll follow you into the world

Well, this last week has been so busy – and very draining! For the last two weeks my ministry team has been at a place called New Beginnings Are Possible. It’s a youth center that runs like a day camp during the summer. The first week was golf camp, so we went to the mini-golf course and driving range every morning. In the afternoon, our team put on a vacation bible school type program. The second week we did the same program but all day (8-3). It was exhausting, but so rewarding! We formed great relationships with the kids, and it’s always difficult to leave knowing you’ll probably never see them again. But, God definitely blessed the time we had there, and for that I’m grateful. Starting on Monday, we’ll be working at God’s Kidz in the Hood. I wasn’t there for the orientation at the beginning of summer, so I don’t really know much about it. I’ll be able to give more details after Monday.

Today we had our usual Saturday outreach. This week we volunteered to help City on a Hill’s huge community outreach called the Neighborhood BBQ. It was held outside of City on a Hill’s building in two large parking lots. There was so much going on! Music/dance performances, adult activities, youth/children activities, carnival games, face painting, a prayer booth, a prayer tent, lots of food, and tons more! It went on from 1:00-5:00. I spent a lot of time at the prayer booth. I was able to meet a variety of people and heard many sad stories…but it was so awesome to sit and pray for people I had never met before. At the end of the day, one of the directors told us they had around 800 people attend! The Kingdom was expanded today, and it was so awesome to play a small part in that!

I have three weeks left before the end of project and I return to Ohio. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone, but it’s been awesome to see how God has worked in me and through me!

This song represents my heart for the city...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJeW3HlDqPA&feature=related

It feels so real from the outside lookin' in

So many awesome things have happened this weekend, and I really want to share them with you! Every Saturday we do some type of outreach in the city. Yesterday, we split into five small groups. Each group went to a different park throughout the city. From there we split off into pairs and did evangelism. We (the outreach committee) decided it would be cool to let the pairs decide which method of sharing they wanted to use. Usually we have a specific tool we use each time, for instance, the Knowing God Personally booklet, Soularium, Backstory, etc. My group included Alesha, David, and Anna, and we went out to Dineen Park on the west side which is predominantly African-American. Alesha and I went out together, and during the first conversation I heard one of the coolest stories. One of the questions we asked Sherry (and her daughter) was if she had ever experienced God, and if so, how? She replied, “Ohhh yes”, and this is her story: In the recent past she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. She said she couldn’t handle the medication they put her on. I think the side effects were pretty harsh. She was supposed to take the medication for a year before it could heal her. She prayed and asked the Lord to heal her in three months. Three months later from the day she prayed, the doctors told her they couldn’t find anything and had no explanation. She had no doubt in her mind that it was God’s doing. =) It was so awesome to hear her testimony and just spend time talking with her. Later on, we talked to another older woman named Cassandra. The first question we asked her was to give three words that describe her life right now, and her response was “not very good”…just the look on her face when she said that broke my heart. She said the only thing she wanted to accomplish in life was to take good care of her grandson, and her dream is to one day provide a house for them to live in. She said she wasn’t trying to live life to the fullest…she’s trying to live life for survival. The conversation we had hit me really hard. In the culture I grew up in, the goal seems to be to live life to fullest and it’s often done so by how high you can climb through society and in the workplace…how much money you make…what kind of house you live in…the car you drive…sending your children to college, etc. I’ve lived in a house my entire life and never once worried about ever losing it, unlike Cassandra and many other families… Our conversation really showed me the differences between our cultures, and something just isn’t right about that!

When we got back to City on a Hill, all of the teams got together and talked about the day’s events. Throughout the day, four people accepted Christ! and many seeds were planted! Which leads into another really cool story...Two girls on my team went to Cherry Park and shared the Gospel with an older lady in a wheelchair and two of her daughters. My teammates felt pretty discouraged with the conversation and felt like nothing had gotten through, but today we went to Broken Chains Ministry for church and the lady in the wheelchair showed up! Near the end of the service, the bishop’s daughter sang a song, and I noticed there were four people standing around the older lady, holding her up in a standing position. The bishop later told us that she has been in a wheelchair for so long and just wanted to be able to stand and praise Jesus! It was such a beautiful scene…she also told the bishop that she had no idea why she went to Broken Chains, but she felt like the Lord wanted her to go there this morning. It was just another awesome opportunity to see God working in the lives of the people here. Oh! And another quick story that I thought was really cool: the bishop’s son is an ex-gang member and two weeks ago he just got his license to become a minister. Isn’t that awesome?! God takes what seems like the impossible and makes it happen. Ahhhh so cool!

Phew, okay, I think that’s all I had to share! =) I would really appreciate continued prayers for our project and the people of this city. Pray that God would open doors and break down walls.

Always with love,
E

Quick update

"A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

It's been awhile since I've made a post and a lot has happened since then, but unfortunately I only have a few minutes to give an update. As I mentioned in my last post, we went out by the Lake and did outreach all day on Saturday. It was fantastic! aaand HOT!!! Talk about humidity! Phew! There were tens of thousands of people who came and celebrated the holiday. So, there were definitely ample opportunities to share the Gospel! We had a great day.

Our project is going through some pretty big changes right now. Last night we had a banquet and said goodbye to all of our staff. For the next four weeks, the students are running the project. We've all been given different leadership roles. Specifically I've been given the "Project Archivist" position with David. It includes two primary jobs: photographer and newsletter/evaluations coordinator. I'm pretty excited about it! I'm hoping David and I can come up with some pretty creative ideas to capture God's work on project!

I know this is super short, but we're leaving in 5 minutes to go to the Milwaukee Brewers' game. I'll be sure to wear my Cincinnati Red's gear =)

Always with love,
E

He is in control...

Big news! I made the decision to switch from the workplace ministry to vocational ministry. The vocational ministry is split up into two groups. I am with team one that has five other members: Jacob, David, Anna, Gloria, and Emily. This week is going to be a little different than others. Our group is splitting up and three of us are going back the Hopewell ministry site and the other three are going to Eastbrook church. Hopewell is ministry with kids from the city, kind of like a vocation bible school but the church is putting it on for five weeks. Eastbrook has developed a really neat learning center where adults who don’t have a high school diploma from the community can come and be tutored so they can get their GED or be trained on basic computer skills. It’s a really awesome place, and the directors are wonderful! Today we went out to a nearby neighborhood and went door-to-door talking with people about the learning center and getting the door out. While we were out I was reminded that I am no longer in my secure bubble of West Liberty. Many of the women who lived there looked at us sternly and said, “you girls be careful around here!”. One person even said, “You guys know you’re in the hood now, right?”. Well, yes obviously we were aware but I think some of us have become almost too comfortable. If that makes sense…I also had an uncomfortable encounter with a man walking on the sidewalk. He was talking to me in what I would say ‘an inappropriate manner’ and looking me up and down. Blehck. It’s great to be in communities like this who are in desperate need of hearing the Gospel and I’ve come to love being around it…but safety and protection has become a huge prayer request.

So! Tomorrow half of the group will start mentoring and tutoring and the other three (myself included) will be going back to Hopewell for the week! Next week we will start a new ministry site.
I’m on the outreach team on project. Last night we had a meeting and decided to do ministry out by the lake this weekend (the 3rd). This is a huge day for Milwaukee, I guess. Every 3rd of July the city celebrates the 4th. Hundreds of thousands of people come out to the beaches and parks near the lake and set up camp for the day. At night, there’s a huge fireworks show. We plan on setting up a booth and having large tri-folds with Solarium on them. If you’re unfamiliar with Solarium, it’s a tool used for sharing the Gospel. It’s basically like a picture survey that gets them thinking about their life and beliefs which opens a good opportunity to share the Gospel. Some of us will be at the booth, and everyone else will be walking around doing the same thing. Afterwards, we’re going to cookout and watch the fireworks show. So, it’s going to be a big day and I’m really looking forward to it!

I wrote all of the previous this afternoon, but tonight, when I was talking on the phone, I was looking outside my window and right then I saw a group of five or six men beating a man on the ground…punching and kicking him…I just sat there…frozen…they left him lying in the street. I didn’t know what to do but cry…I saw a car stop and then pull away…a few minutes later an ambulance showed up. The ambulance didn’t rush off…I don’t even know if he’s still alive… I’m still in shock about it…I’ve seen crap like that on TV but never right in front of me…This is real life...This is the world we live in...My heart just breaks for them…the victim AND the offenders. God is so needed in this city!

"Do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go".
Joshua 1:9

You're the God of this city

I still haven't had any job leads, so I spent the rest of the week at the Hopewell ministry site and totally loved every minute of it! I came here in hopes of having an impact of the people of this city, but I'm finding out they're having more of an impact on me! Totally awesome. On our last day at Hopewell, Tim (project student) lead a little boy named Maurice to Christ. Afterwards he ran up to me so excited and yelled, "I have Jesus in my heart!!!" It was adorable...a perfect image of what child-like faith looks like.

Lately I've been feeling a tug on my heart to join the vocational ministry. At this point it seems very doubtful (but not impossible) that I'll get a job anyway. I really love working at the ministry sites! God's given me a strong desire to work with inner city kids. I know I work with kids a lot throughout the year, but being here is so much different. My purpose here is to share the Gospel and the light of Christ. Back home I can't do that as easily. Plus, there's not much "inner city" where I live. I can definitely see inner city teaching/ministry being a longterm career for me, and maybe that's why God brought me here this summer! I would really appreciate your prayers for discernment for God's will and on which track I belong.

So last night we had our second social! We went outside of Milwaukee to a family's lake house who are mutual friends with some of our staff (I think). They have a BEAUTIFUL home and many recreational toys =) We spent the evening riding around in a pontoon boat, cruisin' in a speed boat/wake boarding [which I can finally say I've done! Not successfully though, ha! Instead, I pulled a muscle.. =)], we swam in the lake and the indoor pool, played cornhole, shot off some fireworks, and ended the night singing around a campfire. Faaaantastic night! I just uploaded pictures on facebook if you would like to see the evidence from the extravaganza =)

Hopewell Kids

It's a beautiful day

Wow…
So much has happened in the last week that I’m not even sure where to begin. A lot of it has been good, but there have definitely been many challenges. But through everything, God has clearly demonstrated His provision! Hallelujah.

I still haven’t found a job, and I currently have no leads. I’m not sure what more to do, but I trust the Lord will provide. Since I don’t really have anything to do, I went to one of our ministry sites today and helped out our vocational team. I’d say there were about 30 kids there from the ages of 1-19. It was so much fun! We sang songs and had a bible lesson as one large group, and afterwards we split off into smaller groups. Tim and I took the 1-4 year olds. It was so awesome to play and love on them! How the adults handled the kids was different than I’m used to, but it’s all part of their culture. As we’ve been told many times, “it’s not wrong…it’s just different”. It was somewhat hard to adjust to their tactics because their methods were the exact opposite of what I’ve been taught in school of how to “appropriately” work with children. Oh! But at the end of the day, Cheryl (another project student) told me that an older girl she had been talking with had made the decision to accept Christ into her life today! WOOHOO!!! It’s so awesome to see the growth of God’s kingdom right in front of me! =)

Last night was our first weekly meeting, which is similar to our 180 service back at OU on Thursday nights. The entire staff and team (people from the community are also welcome) come together to worship and listen to a guest speaker. I was asked to lead vocals on the worship team which was really cool! I was a little nervous beforehand because I was singing a Jimmy Needham song
(“Hurricane”) with Kiera on the piano…It’s been awhile since I’ve sang alone in front of a group but what really made me nervous was that I began to lose my voice before the meeting…and to add to my nerves, I was giving my testimony to the entire group. It’s the first time I’ve shared it before in front of a large group. God totally came through and gave me the strength to sing and give my testimony! “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. It was awesome…My story isn’t about me. It’s about CHRIST through me. It was great to be able to share it with others.

Praise be to God! He has been so good to me!

Meet Milwaukee

I thought I'd give a quick update while I wait for some of my team members to apply for jobs online. This week I've gotten to see and experience a lot of the city! Sunday we split off into small groups and went on a tour of the city. On Tuesday we went on a scavenger hunt and were able to get out of the car and interact with people. I learned a lot about Milwaukee and it's history, so I thought I'd share some of what I learned with all of you! =)

*Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin, and 23rd most populous in the US.

*Population: 1,739,497 (as of 2007)

*Once known almost exclusively as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouse.

*In the past decade there have been many major additions: Milwaukee Riverwalk, Midwest Airlines Center, Miller Park, Milwaukee Art Museum, and Pier Wisconsin.

*According to the US Census Bureau, Milwaukee is the nation's most segregated metropolitan area. I clearly saw this here...just driving around the different parts of the city, there are defined lines between communities. There is an African American section, a Hispanic section, etc. Just walking on the sidewalk, I felt like everyone was watching me...which they definitely were...For example, it was very obvious that I stuck out like a sore thumb being one of the few white girls, and people looked at me like "What are you doing here?". It was interesting...and very uncomfortable at times.

*As of the 2005-2007 American Community Survey (US Census Bureau):
White American: 45.2%
African American: 38.7%
American Indians: 0.7%
Asian Americans: 3.3%
Hispanics and Latinos: 15.1%

(Ancestry)
African American: 38.7%
German: 20.9%
Polish: 9%
Irish: 6.5%
English: 2.7%
Italian: 2.7%
French: 2.1%
Hispanics: 15.1%

(Religion)
Catholic: 58%
Lutheran: 23%
Methodist: 3%
Jewish: 2.5%

*Milwaukee is home to Marquette University, the Brewers, the Bucks, Miller Brewery, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, and many other historical places.

So, there are some interesting facts and information about Milwaukee, WI! I also want to let you know that I had a job interview this morning at Jimmy Johns (a sub restaurant). It went really well! Mitch, the franchise owner, interviewed me. He didn't officially say I had the job, but he sounded pretty promising. He said he would call within the next couple days. So I would appreciate prayers over that!

Today I'm going out with a few other team members who are still job searching just to support them and pray over them while their in the stores/businesses. Afterwards we're joining the rest of the team for dinner and then having a reflection meeting (which is actually on our own...so it's like a devotional time). I'm looking forward to the rest of the week!

I hope you all are doing well, and my God pour abundant blessings over you!
Always with love,
E

All things work together for good

So much has happened in the last couple days! First of all, we went to an inner-city church called Bereans Family Worship Center. It was predominantly an African-American congregation with a lot of soul! =) The people were so welcoming and gave many hugs with a "God bless ya, sista"! =) I loved it! I got so much from the message, too!

This week is orientation week, so we've been in a lot of training sessions. I've learned a lot about the people of the inner city, specifically Milwaukee. I feel like I have a greater understanding. God really changed my perspective of these people, and has really been changing my heart...which is what I've been praying for...that God would break my heart for what breaks His. Before coming to Project, I admit that I had a very judgmental view of the poor. I often blamed their state of poverty because of their own irresponsibility and laziness...but God's given me the realization that it's so much more than that, and I've been trying to put myself in their shoes...but it's been really difficult...Through scripture God has shown me the importance of serving and loving the poor, and how we're instructed to do so.

This evening we went to St. Ben's Soup Kitchen. I thought St. Ben's was a very beautiful, unique cathedral. At the front of the sanctuary, on the wall, there was a large sculpture/painting (hard to describe) of Mother Mary above a group of saints from Uganda. All the artwork around the church were all African-Americans which was really neat because that church in particular are predominately African-American. A guy named Cory gave us the history of the church and their ministry with the soup kitchen which was really interesting. Afterwards, we were able to go to the kitchen and eat with everyone. The first lady I sat by was very distressed because I was there. It was hard to understand her, but she made it very clear that she did not like me being there. She was saying something like, "why are you here....i'm poor...i need food...why are you here...you don't need this...you're well dressed...i can't eat in peace...i can't eat in peace". I tried to explain to her why I was there, but she didn't get it. Soon she got up and left. I really wasn't sure what to think at that point. I was a little disappointed because all I wanted to do was to meet these people and learn about their lives...I sat there for a little bit alone and just prayed to the Lord. Soon after, an older man sitting diagonal from me began talking to me. He was great! I learned that he was originally from Mexico. He was open and a lot of fun to talk to! He taught me some Spanish...which I can't remember one word he taught me now, whoops...but it was really cool!! When he got up to leave, he thanked me (and the rest of Project) for being there and asked me when I'd be back. I was sad to tell him that I probably wouldn't be coming back. As soon as he left, another man (younger) came and sat by me. His name was Jarrel. He was very quiet and timid at first, but once I was able to find and question more about his interests, he just talked and talked and talked! I found out that he actually spent some of his childhood growing up in Ohio, so we had a lot in common! He said he used to love going out to his grandma's farm and playing with the horses. Through our conversation God really showed me that I am no different than the people sitting around me. We are ALL God's children and He loves ALL of us. These are my brothers and sisters...and so often I feel like I separate myself from them..."those people"...I'm so thankful that God has so clearly shown this to me and the changes I need to make within me.

Overall, I am LOVING project! I love the city. I love my team. I love the people of the city. I cannot express how grateful I am that God has brought me here, and I am SO excited to see what's in store!

Always with love...
E

New places. New faces.

Helloooooo from MILWAUKEE!!!!!

I finally found internet, but I'm not sure how often I'll be able to get on to update my blog, but hopefully at least a couple times a week.

I've been here for three days already! Mom and I drove in on Thursday and found a hotel to stay in for the night. It was really good to spend time together before I left, especially since I just got back from OU the day before. We had a great time! Here is my highlight of the night:

(driving to the hotel)
Erica: "Mom, what are you doing?"
Mom: "I'm waiting for the light to change"
Erica: "Um....It's a stop sign"

That may give you a clue what the rest of the night was like =) It was great! Anywho, so I moved in early Friday afternoon. This is a project with Here's Life Inner City but through Campus Crusade for Christ. The building we're staying in is called City on a Hill. Fun fact: It used to be a hospital. So, it's kind of an interesting living environment, ha! But, my team here is amazing! The staff and students are great! I already feel a sense of community. There are 19 students from all over the country, and I'm the only one for Ohio. Before I go in too much detail, I really just need to first praise God because in my last post I had mixed feelings about coming on project. But He totally changed my heart almost overnight, and by the time I got here I was ready! He's given me excitement and a heart for this city!

So this afternoon we went to Bradford Beach to evangelize. There were loads of people there because there was a Blue Angels Air Show, so we had so many opportunities to share the Gospel! We went out in pairs. The first four people Anna and I shared with were already Christians. Then we sat down with a mom, probably in her late 30s. She was hesitant to talk with us at first, but she agreed. Immediately into our conversation, she said she was atheist. Let me tell you, it was the most interesting/intense spiritual conversation I've ever had. She asked me the hardest question I've ever had to answer. Quote, "So, since I don't believe in God, are you telling me I'm going to hell?" ...Woah. No non-Christian has ever been so bold...I know the answer, but it was hard to say the truth. But we did...and she laughed....and said, "That's so much 'bs' (edited, ha!). You seriously believe that?!" She was very offended about it, and the conversation soon ended. This conversation really hit me hard. It was interesting, because before going to the beach I had a strong desire for someone to come to know the Lord today and I was desperately praying for it...and here, God showed me the complete opposite. Doesn't that just figure!? ...of course not...that's how God works, ha. But I'm really thankful for the experience, and God revealed so much to me just in that 30 min conversation. It gave me a burning passion to continue to reach out to the people in the city who are desperately in need of a Savior.

We shared for about 2 hours and afterwards had a cookout at a nearby park. It's been so much fun getting to know everyone! I'm so thankful that God called me here. I really appreciate your love, support, and prayers! Thank you so much!

Prayer requests:
*That I find a part-time job. Right now, I have a lead at Kohls. So pray I get hired, if it's God's will.
*Support Raising: I don't know an exact number but I know I still have a few hundred dollars to still raise.

Love to you all!

12 hours to go

Well, I'm under the 12 hour mark...I can't believe it. I'm not even sure it's hit me yet. Although, I will say that it feels great to be done with school for awhile! I needed the break. Now that the day has finally arrived, I have mixed feelings about leaving. I'm excited to serve the Lord and find out what He has in store, but it's hard to leave my friends and family when I feel like I need them the most right now. Ultimately, God is all I need and I know He'll be there in Milwaukee. It's just difficult to face current trials and pain in a place so far from home and everyone I know. But, a friend shared this verse with me earlier today...It has been so encouraging today...I hope it encourages you as well..

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" Exodus 14:13-14

Here we go!

Hello all!

Yes, I finally broke down and created a blog. I am not a blogger, but I thought this would be the best way to keep those interested updated with my ministry in Milwaukee...and life in general.

11 days...until I leave for Inner City Milwaukee! I'm sure many of you know, but in February I was accepted for a summer project with Campus Crusade for Christ. Why did I choose Milwaukee? Good question. As I was reading through all the different locations, Milwaukee just caught my eye. I believe it's God-ordained.

The last year has by far been one of the most challenging. It's definitely been a year full of ups and downs. I feel like I've experienced some of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But through every challenge, I've experienced God's grace and love. Through recent trials, I've been able to more fully understand God's discipline.

"...but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:10-11

I know that the Lord uses situations to chisel away the areas of sin in my life in order to restore me back to His original masterpiece. God created me in His likeness. How awesome is that? Yet at the same time I often find myself intimidated by that truth. God is perfect…holy…majestic…powerful…the creator of the universe. and me..a sinner..is suppose to be a reflection of Him? Intimidating? – yes. Inspiring? – most definitely! This gives me purpose for life! I was made for so much more. God has a perfect plan for me.

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. – Jeremiah 29:11

God is preparing my heart and mind for this summer in Milwaukee – where my world is going to be rocked!