Day 6 – Return Day This morning we were able to wake up and spend a little time packing up while breakfast was being made. Most days our breakfast consisted of cereal, toast, bagels, yogurt and fruit. This day, however, as we packed up we were greeted by smells of freshly cooked bacon coming from the kitchen toward our rooms. This morning’s breakfast was pancakes and bacon, and it was fantastic. With the sadness that this trip was coming to an end, there was also the joy of getting home and seeing our families. Most students were ready after 5 or 6 days. There was so much packed into those days that several of us didn’t hardly have time to be homesick, which was good. After breakfast we loaded the vans and did some final cleanup to help the YWAM staff. There was floor vacuuming and mopping, bathroom cleaning and…
Continue ReadingDay 5 – Treasure Hunt + Application Night Our last full day is upon us. With each night the sleep has gotten better, and the Lord has been faithful to give us rest. Some of the girls woke early to watch the sunrise, but after a few minutes of seeing God’s magnitude, they decided that feeling the warmth and rest God can provide in a bed, rushed quickly back to inside for a little more sleep. After breakfast we spent some quiet time with the Lord and then went into a teaching about how we are Jesus’ disciples, and a disciple listens to his master. We talked about how Jesus’ job is to speak, which He is faithful to do, and our job is to listen. Today was the most beautiful day that we have had here with tons of sun and much less humidity than the past couple days….
Continue ReadingDay 4 – Packers and Northport After breakfast and quiet time this morning (which I promised some pictures and was only able to get a few, I will try again tomorrow) we had a worship session here at the TC, which was such a joy to hear these 18 students crying out to God for peace, for strength, for his presence. From there we packed sack lunches to take with us to our daily outreach which today was an opportunity to play with children in two neighboring low-income housing developments at their summer programming. One of the locations is known as Packers and the other Northport. Eight of the students went to Northport while ten went to Packers. We drove into town and had lunch with our teams and received our final instructions before heading to our outreach destinations. We were informed that these communities were no longer allowing YWAM,…
Continue ReadingDay 3 – Downtown Outreach After another early breakfast and waking to news of a bad storm back home, we settled in for our quiet time in the book of Joshua. The theme for this morning was “I Can Dwell in God’s Presence”. The main point was that no matter what we do or where we go, God goes with us. God helped the Israelites cross the Jordan River, His presence going before them. God gave the Israelites enemies into their hand, because he had promised them victory. When God calls us to something, we can be certain that he will go before us! (I will try to take some pictures during quiet time tomorrow!). We then had the opportunity for the YWAM staff to teach us a skit that we will be able to use in some of our outreach opportunities this week. This was a ton of fun;…
Continue ReadingDay 2 – Intro to Evangelism and Getting to know the City After what seemed like a small amount of sleep, we were awakened by the bright, warm sun. It was as if the Lord was telling us to get up and get ready for the day that He had planned for us. After breakfast we were introduced to our first quiet time where we have some simple prompts in a journal and some passages to read and reflect upon. This year we will be using the book of Joshua as our guide. This morning’s topic was to “I Can Trust God”. We then went into worship where we sang several songs of praise to our good God. From there we were able to spend some time talking about Evangelism. What evangelism is and what it isn’t. We learned several good tips to how we can start up a conversation…
Continue ReadingDay 1 – Departure Day With a slightly misty morning and concerns of a rainy travel day, the weather cleared up in time for many to join the team for a wonderful time of prayer. Joined by three of Calvary Church’s Elders, the team’s loved ones-consisting of grand-parents, parents, siblings and friends-huddled up while many prayed for safe travel for this group of 18 young men and women (plus four adult leaders), for God’s name to be glorified in Madison, WI and for each team member to take another step in their journey of faith. After prayer, hugs, and goodbye’s, this brave group of teenagers packed themselves into two church vans and headed for WI. It didn’t take too terribly long to make it to Muskegon where we would board the Lake Express to head toward Milwaukee. The team even had a grandparent waiting in Muskegon flying balloons and a…
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