First of all, I'm working at a day camp at my church, called Camp Agape, again this summer. I absolutely love working here and couldn't imagine my summer without it. God does so much through this camp and it's so exciting to be a part of it. That being said, God's plans were a bit different than mine. Why? I've only worked ten days out of the whole summer so far. It would be really easy to be extremely disappointed by this, because I have no idea why that would be God's plan. But as I've looked back, I am thankful. First of all, I am thankful for those two weeks that I DID work! In those ten days, God used me in the lives of those kids. I have so many stories of cool things he did, from kids asking questions in devotions, awesome conversations I had with kids about Jesus on the bus rides, and just little ways I saw him moving. And it is also a great reminder that, although we have plans, God's may be different, and we must live each day like we won't have the same opportunities forever. It would be really easy to beat myself up about those ten days unless I know that I worked my hardest for Jesus on those days. I am also thankful for the time God has given me apart from Camp that I didn't anticipate. I have been able to learn more about him and be more focused on him, as well as spending precious time with family and friends.
Another cool thing God is doing is coming up soon! For those of you who don't know, Victoria and I will be leaving for Costa Rica tomorrow! We are so excited! And while we are so excited for what God will do through this trip, I am amazed about what he has already done before we have even left. We have been preparing for this trip for over a year. We have done (literal) homework, had meetings, spent hours in prayer, prepared a skit, and so much more. And God has increased our unity as a team, and grown us all so much in our faith. As my friend put it, "the person who signed up for this trip, is not the person who is going on this trip." If I had to say one thing that God has been teaching me in preparation for this trip, I'd say that he's taught me that I don't have to go to a different country to make disciples. And I knew that already, but he's been walking me through how that plays out practically in my life. And so as I leave for this trip, I feel like it is just an outpouring of my ministry here! Another cool thing that God put into play in my life was that my family hosted two missionary families for a couple of weeks this summer. It was amazing to hear about their ministry and how God is at work around the world, but the other cool thing was one I didn't expect. They partnered with me! They asked me questions about my trip, gave me tips about living in a different culture, and prayed for me! It was definitely a cool way to launch into this trip.
Guys? God's at work! I just told you just a few ways he's at work in my life, but I know he's working in amazing ways throughout the world! Draw near to Him and jump into what he's doing!
P.S. - If you guys are interested in following our trip to Costa Rica, you can see the daily updates and pictures at this blog: http://efcwcostarica2013.blogspot.com/ And if you want, you guys could pray for us! Cause we need all the prayer support we can get!
