It's Friday. When did that happen?
It's amazing how quickly time passes here; I guess that's what happens when you're constantly on the move, planning or preparing something. I think one of the hardest things for me to adjust to here is just being active all the time. I feel like I'm never quite on top of things, like I'm constantly running at 95% instead of 100. I'm hoping that this is just something that will work itself out in time, that I won't feel like I'm grasping at loose ends all the time. Sarah (one of the missionaries from last year who's staying on to be hospitality coordinator and cook amazing meals!) was telling me that it took her about a month to get into the swing of things; I hope she's right!
I do feel a little better now that we have our first retreat under our belt. I didn't think it would be possible to plan a retreat in full in just one week; this just goes to show you that God does indeed provide. I am actually really impressed with how well we worked together on this retreat; everyone is still trying to get a grasp on everyone else's gifts, but we're slowly starting to know more about each other and this was a real learning experience for all of us.
The group of 8th graders we had here for the last three days were flat out amazing--they blew my socks off. I never get tired of seeing someone grasp something new about the reality of God, and this was one of those weekends. The group of teens that came in on Wednesday night and the group that left this afternoon were completely different; you wouldn't even know it was the same bunch of people. All my experiences with Confirmation groups just did not prepare me for how amazed I am with this group. And the most amazing thing is, we only saw these kids for 3 days, but I love all of them! It's still just so crazy that people have an implicit trust in us as missionaries; the teachers basically called us up and said "put on a retreat for us, do what you want!"
Speaking of a missionary way of life, we sort of have a "fast food ministry" on the side here at Covecrest. Mondays are our day off, and we usually go out to eat somewhere (because, frankly, although we love Sarah's cooking, we do get tired of leftovers). So this last Monday, we took a trip down to Chick-fil-A (which is basically my new favorite restaurant--they have chicken everything, amazing dipping sauce, and Christian radio playing in the background). Since it was my first Chick-fil-A experience, everyone was giving me advice on what to order, and the lady working at the counter asked me why I was in Georgia. So I started talking about being a missionary at Covecrest, and, wouldn't you know it, she wants to be a missionary but just doesn't know who to contact or how to get involved. So after telling her about the Vision magazine, I told her I would keep her in my prayers, and she said she would pray for me too. God works in amazing places, yes?
If this blog seems a little more disjointed and unorganized than usual, you're right. I'm exhausted. So I apologize, but I hope you'll understand that I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment, and I will try and get back to some state of organization in the near future. I love you all and I'm praying for you!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Upcoming...
Here's what's coming up for all of us missionaries out here at Covecrest:
Tomorrow, we start planning for the 8th grade retreat we're leading for 4 different groups between now and the end of October. It's called "Mission: Possible," and is all about God's love and spreading that love in your daily life. It should be really exciting, because it's the first "big" project we'll all be working on together. The first group gets here next Wednesday, so it's not a lot of time to prepare, but I think we can do it!
This Friday, we have 2 more groups coming up to camp: a Confirmation program with a little over 100 teens, and a sorority group of about 60. Keep them in your prayers as they seek God here! We'll actually be pretty involved with the Confirmation program; they want us to lead some prayer groups, and we'll also be leading praise and worship. And when I say "we," I'm including myself (which is a little bit scary for me, but Reggie's being very supportive...).
This weekend, we're also starting our outreach to one of the two local parishes whose youth ministry programming we'll be a part of this year. Half of us will be heading out to St. Francis parish on Sunday to meet with their Core and get a feel for what we'll be doing this coming year.
Formation is still going strong for us missionaries; right now, we're talking about the Father heart of God.
And, of course, we have to finish filling in the ditch in the road leading up to the families' houses.
So, as you can see, we're busy, busy, busy here at Covecrest! Thanks for all your prayers, and as always, let me know if there's any way we can pray for you here at camp. Love and God bless!
Tomorrow, we start planning for the 8th grade retreat we're leading for 4 different groups between now and the end of October. It's called "Mission: Possible," and is all about God's love and spreading that love in your daily life. It should be really exciting, because it's the first "big" project we'll all be working on together. The first group gets here next Wednesday, so it's not a lot of time to prepare, but I think we can do it!
This Friday, we have 2 more groups coming up to camp: a Confirmation program with a little over 100 teens, and a sorority group of about 60. Keep them in your prayers as they seek God here! We'll actually be pretty involved with the Confirmation program; they want us to lead some prayer groups, and we'll also be leading praise and worship. And when I say "we," I'm including myself (which is a little bit scary for me, but Reggie's being very supportive...).
This weekend, we're also starting our outreach to one of the two local parishes whose youth ministry programming we'll be a part of this year. Half of us will be heading out to St. Francis parish on Sunday to meet with their Core and get a feel for what we'll be doing this coming year.
Formation is still going strong for us missionaries; right now, we're talking about the Father heart of God.
And, of course, we have to finish filling in the ditch in the road leading up to the families' houses.
So, as you can see, we're busy, busy, busy here at Covecrest! Thanks for all your prayers, and as always, let me know if there's any way we can pray for you here at camp. Love and God bless!
Getting out of my comfort zone
Last weekend, we had our first experience with a group coming up on retreat here at Covecrest. We had been praying for the two groups all week, just asking that the Holy Spirit open our hearts and for all of us to really be present for everyone during their time here, but, I’m not going to lie, I was more than a little nervous at the idea. I’m not used to trying to do relational ministry with a group of teens I just met; it usually takes me awhile to build up that kind of relationship. Added to this is the fact that relational ministry is something I struggle with in general, something that I have to really make an effort to do. It is just not natural for me, although I’d like to think I’ve gotten a little more comfortable with “loving on” teens through my experience at Blessed Kateri.
I guess the real issue is that I still just haven’t wrapped my mind around this whole idea of being a missionary. What does that even mean?
The groups arrived, we were introduced, and I fell into my very comfortable routine of making sure all the i’s were dotted and all the t’s were crossed: I did laundry, I served meals, I vacuumed...you know, all those things I tend to do because I’m really trying to avoid making myself vulnerable. I figure, if I keep busy, no one will notice that I tend to avoid what is really the heart of Life Teen and of Covecrest, because someone else will come along who is just a lot better at it than I am, and I will stay safe and unchallenged.
I think you might be able to guess where this is going...
So the youth minister for one of the groups asked some of us to be a part of a session where we prayed over teens who were either getting ready for or coming out of Reconciliation. Reluctantly, I volunteered. I was sitting out in Mike’s Place field, wondering how in the world teens were going to feel comfortable coming up to me, someone they had never talked to, to ask for prayer. I figured if I saw anyone at all, they would ask me to pray for their soccer tryouts, or their sick grandma...things that aren’t too personal. That’s when the first teen walked up. This girl sat down, and with tears in her eyes, opened her heart up to me and poured out how she was struggling in her life. We talked about what she was going through and then we prayed together. And then another girl came over, saying her friend told her she should talk to me.
I had such humble joy in knowing that these girls trusted me enough to open themselves up like that, especially because I felt so unprepared and unworthy. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “in your weakness, He is strong.” The reality, I think I’m beginning to realize, is that being a missionary carries with it a certain significance. It’s almost like just because we are missionaries here, there is an implicit tendency to trust us. What a huge responsibility. I just hope I can live up to it.
Right now, I'm loving just learning how to live into this missionary life, in all its forms. Today I helped fill in a big ol' ditch that Jason had laid some pipe down in for a new water supply to some of the cabins. That was a new experience for me...and although I'm tired and I think I have a blister forming on one of my thumbs, I can go to bed tonight knowing that I did some legitimate work to make some people's experience here at camp a little better.
I guess the real issue is that I still just haven’t wrapped my mind around this whole idea of being a missionary. What does that even mean?
The groups arrived, we were introduced, and I fell into my very comfortable routine of making sure all the i’s were dotted and all the t’s were crossed: I did laundry, I served meals, I vacuumed...you know, all those things I tend to do because I’m really trying to avoid making myself vulnerable. I figure, if I keep busy, no one will notice that I tend to avoid what is really the heart of Life Teen and of Covecrest, because someone else will come along who is just a lot better at it than I am, and I will stay safe and unchallenged.
I think you might be able to guess where this is going...
So the youth minister for one of the groups asked some of us to be a part of a session where we prayed over teens who were either getting ready for or coming out of Reconciliation. Reluctantly, I volunteered. I was sitting out in Mike’s Place field, wondering how in the world teens were going to feel comfortable coming up to me, someone they had never talked to, to ask for prayer. I figured if I saw anyone at all, they would ask me to pray for their soccer tryouts, or their sick grandma...things that aren’t too personal. That’s when the first teen walked up. This girl sat down, and with tears in her eyes, opened her heart up to me and poured out how she was struggling in her life. We talked about what she was going through and then we prayed together. And then another girl came over, saying her friend told her she should talk to me.
I had such humble joy in knowing that these girls trusted me enough to open themselves up like that, especially because I felt so unprepared and unworthy. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “in your weakness, He is strong.” The reality, I think I’m beginning to realize, is that being a missionary carries with it a certain significance. It’s almost like just because we are missionaries here, there is an implicit tendency to trust us. What a huge responsibility. I just hope I can live up to it.
Right now, I'm loving just learning how to live into this missionary life, in all its forms. Today I helped fill in a big ol' ditch that Jason had laid some pipe down in for a new water supply to some of the cabins. That was a new experience for me...and although I'm tired and I think I have a blister forming on one of my thumbs, I can go to bed tonight knowing that I did some legitimate work to make some people's experience here at camp a little better.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
My first days as an East-coast missionary
So here I am, sitting in an office full of my fellow missionaries, trying to figure out what in the world to write about to summarize the first four crazy days of what I think is going to be one of the most awesome years of my life.
I am already loving the community here at Covecrest; it is so great to walk with God in the company of a bunch of great, holy people! Even though we haven't even been here for a full week yet, I can already see ties starting to form, and true community life beginning to happen. A couple days ago, we were deep-cleaning the San Damiano Inn, a task that is not for the faint-hearted--you would be suprised at what teens leave behind underneath mattresses when they come to camp (we did get a total of 4 dollars though!). It was dirty. It was hot. There was a lot of bleach involved.
Not exactly how I would choose to spend a Wednesday afternoon.
But a funny thing happened...every time I would flip over a mattress, find something less-than-desirable, and start complaining to myself, I would look around and see Colleen cleaning off the top of a window frame, or Carla underneath a bed scrubbing a floorboard, or Alex vacuuming an air conditioning vent; and it made me check myself, pick up my bleach bottle, and have another go.
I've been reading A Simple Path by Mother Teresa, and in it is a quote from one of the Missionaries of Charity sisters that I was reflecting on during Holy Hour the other day: "Whatever I do, I do it for Jesus. Otherwise it is worthless, useless. So when I know I am doing it for Him, I can do it more lovingly, more compassionately...It gives a lot of meaning to my life to know I am doing it for Him." And you know what? As unglamorous as cleaning out all those rooms was, and as much as I really wanted to sigh out loud when we finished and then went over to clean Cole House, I looked around at the other 7 people carrying buckets and bleach, and remembered that quote, and I knew that as hard as the work may be, we're doing it for God. And it was so encouraging to know that we, as a community, are all in this together.
Who knew that all that would come from flipping mattresses?
Daunting task? Yes.
I'm writing run-on sentences just thinking about it.
Leaving home wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, surprisingly. I didn't even cry once. Despite how sad I was to leave the BKLT family, and how much I knew I was going to miss my family, I have been nothing but excited since I knew I would be coming to Covecrest. And it hasn't really stopped since.
I am already loving the community here at Covecrest; it is so great to walk with God in the company of a bunch of great, holy people! Even though we haven't even been here for a full week yet, I can already see ties starting to form, and true community life beginning to happen. A couple days ago, we were deep-cleaning the San Damiano Inn, a task that is not for the faint-hearted--you would be suprised at what teens leave behind underneath mattresses when they come to camp (we did get a total of 4 dollars though!). It was dirty. It was hot. There was a lot of bleach involved.
Not exactly how I would choose to spend a Wednesday afternoon.
But a funny thing happened...every time I would flip over a mattress, find something less-than-desirable, and start complaining to myself, I would look around and see Colleen cleaning off the top of a window frame, or Carla underneath a bed scrubbing a floorboard, or Alex vacuuming an air conditioning vent; and it made me check myself, pick up my bleach bottle, and have another go.
I've been reading A Simple Path by Mother Teresa, and in it is a quote from one of the Missionaries of Charity sisters that I was reflecting on during Holy Hour the other day: "Whatever I do, I do it for Jesus. Otherwise it is worthless, useless. So when I know I am doing it for Him, I can do it more lovingly, more compassionately...It gives a lot of meaning to my life to know I am doing it for Him." And you know what? As unglamorous as cleaning out all those rooms was, and as much as I really wanted to sigh out loud when we finished and then went over to clean Cole House, I looked around at the other 7 people carrying buckets and bleach, and remembered that quote, and I knew that as hard as the work may be, we're doing it for God. And it was so encouraging to know that we, as a community, are all in this together.
Who knew that all that would come from flipping mattresses?
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