the entire month of July in 11 paragraphs...
Wow! I have had a busy yet amazing July. Since I last updated I have been on two work camps and family vacation. The first work camp I went as a counselor with the Jr. High kids of my church to Kentucky for a week of service projects. Our group was split up into 5? teams and each team did a different project. We were in a very poor part of the area and almost everyone there lived in a trailer. Many of which were in very poor condition. My team did a great job of skirting a trailer faster then the other team doin the same job. It looked really good and the man we did it for was so thankful. Even with all the blistered hands and feet, the unrealistic amounts of bug bites, and the unrelenting heat, all the teams did a great job and finished their projects.
One of my favorite parts of this trip was getting to be somewhere away from normal life with my youngest sister Ellie. It was so much fun to see her interact with her friends and I was so blessed by the quality time we got to spend together. She is quite the independent and yet the other kids were drawn to her. She is such a blessing in my life and everyone's life she gets to be a part of.
After work camp, Ellie and I drove back a day early to leave with my family (minus my Dad) for vacation. We went to Gull Lake, MN and spent the week sunbathing, boating, eating, sunbathing, shopping, reading, and sunbathing. It was a much needed week to relax for all of us. Being the first time in 18 years that my Dad hasn't come with us, it felt strange at times. We knew he would rather be with us than at home working but we also so appreciated the fact that he would sacrifice his vacation to make sure our family was supported.
Once we returned from family vacation, Mary Lou (my other younger sister) and I immediately started preparing to go to California with the youth group for a work camp and International Youth Convention. She was going as a senior in high school and I was going as the youngest counselor on the trip. It took NO time what so ever for both of us to fall in love with the west coast. Basically we have both vowed to live there for some part of our lives. The 60 of us stayed at a church in San Diego for the first week. From there we split up into 4 groups and held VBS at four different locations. One group left us and traveled to Mexico for the week while the 3 others held VBS in Cali.
El Cajon was the location for my group's VBS. We had a BLAST just loving on kids for a week. Kids bring out the best in everyone and I got to see the big, macho guys from the youth group become like big kids when they were working. The hottest day was a Saturday so most of the kids went to the beach with their families but for the 15 that stayed to play with us in the 118 degree heat, it was the best day of the whole week. We had more fun coming up with ways to stay cool and keep kids entertained then we had any of the other days. Every night the 3 San Diego groups would reconvene at the church and after haning out for a couple of hours we get together and worship through music and one of the summer interns would speak.
The music there was unreal. I have never had more meaningful worship than I did in that intimate room with 40 of the coolest youths I know. Each night was powerful and people were not holding back. I slept in a classroom each night with 9 junior & senior girls and we had SO much fun. Mandy, our Jr. High director was also in our room and basically none of the girls listened to me (I was only like a year older than some of them) but when Mandy layed down the law at night...wow. I was basically just another one of their best buds on the trip which made them feel really comfortable to talk to me about whatever. Each night we'd get together and have "girl time" as they named it. I expected this to be when we all talked about boys and did eachothers hair and nails but I was pleasently surprised. This trip had started a movement in this youth group. They had seen through the vulnerability in the worship and talks given by the interns that there was something missing in their youth group and they were going to do something about it.
All week long there were discussions going on about how to disrupt the complacency that had taken over this youth group. It was amazing to me because some of the most passionate were not who I would have expected. SO much happened and so many people made decisions to change themselves and therefore change the group. After leading music one night I spoke to them about how many of them were on an emotional high and they cannot let that be what they rely on to keep them goin because it will die once they get back home. I shared with them that I had heard SO many great plans and that now it is time to make a way of keeping eachother accountable to those. The spirit was moving that night so we told people if they wanted to stay we would sing for a little while longer. About 13 kids stayed but while we were singing it sounded like there was a whole choir in that room with us and we all left with chills knowing we had really met with God that night.
There is so much more to share about but I need to move on to International Youth Convention. We drove up to Anaheim, CA. All 5,000 youths for this convention stayed in two hotels = chaos! It was so cool though. Music was lead by David Crowder, Jami Smith, and Chris Tomlin = AMAZING! The energy in the convention center each day was unreal. I am so blessed to have gotten to be a part of that week. Students expect IYC to be amazing but what was encouraging this year was talking with students who realized that what was started the week before and is still going on now, the movement for change among them, was so much cooler than an arena filled with 5,000 people. Many of them have come back knowing its going to be tough to start school and keep going as they have been. Although, this past Saturday was the last Xing 631 event that I am going get to be a part of before I leave. SO many kids showed up with friends and the excitement was congagious. We had a square dance and it was the BEST dance period that I have ever been to. The following Sunday morning, I was priveledged to come into youth and help with the music. The energy had not gone away. I am SO excited for the youth group. There is a movement being lead by the Holy Spirit in that place and therefore I know it is blessed and will prosper.
Please keep the Church at the Crossing Youth in your prayers. It is an exciting time!
Now, I home for 16 more days until I leave for Sierra Leone. 16 DAYS! Oh buddy! These past few day have been a roller coaster of feelings. I have been waiting for this to come for months and I couldn't be more excited. At the same time, I am sad to be leaving so many people that I love. It feels unreal to think that less than 2 1/2 weeks from today I'll be standing on African soil again.
I am so blessed. That's all I can about today. I am only $160 dollars short of my orignial $5500 goal for this trip. CRAZY! You don't even know how generous and faithful people have been so that I can go. Seriously, I am blessed. Basically all that is left to do is pack, read, and spend as much time with people as is possible. I've been reading a lot for the independent reading classes I am taking and I feel like my mind is scrambling to take hold of it all. Still, God has given me a peace about it so I'm just goin with the flow.
For these next two weeks I ask that you pray with me that I may not get overwhelmed with "tasks" and just bask in the blessings. I'm not even going to ask you to pray for the rest of the money to come in because I know God's already taken care of it.
My prayer for you is that you would take some time to realize how truly blessed you are and realize the joy that comes from that. Being blessed doesn't mean we don't have any money problems or family problem it means that we have been forgiven and the joy of being His is ours.
Blessings, blessings blessing to you,
Haley Kate
The dream of Jesus Christ: Phil 2:11 "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, TO THE GLORY OF THE FATHER." AMEN!
One of my favorite parts of this trip was getting to be somewhere away from normal life with my youngest sister Ellie. It was so much fun to see her interact with her friends and I was so blessed by the quality time we got to spend together. She is quite the independent and yet the other kids were drawn to her. She is such a blessing in my life and everyone's life she gets to be a part of.
After work camp, Ellie and I drove back a day early to leave with my family (minus my Dad) for vacation. We went to Gull Lake, MN and spent the week sunbathing, boating, eating, sunbathing, shopping, reading, and sunbathing. It was a much needed week to relax for all of us. Being the first time in 18 years that my Dad hasn't come with us, it felt strange at times. We knew he would rather be with us than at home working but we also so appreciated the fact that he would sacrifice his vacation to make sure our family was supported.
Once we returned from family vacation, Mary Lou (my other younger sister) and I immediately started preparing to go to California with the youth group for a work camp and International Youth Convention. She was going as a senior in high school and I was going as the youngest counselor on the trip. It took NO time what so ever for both of us to fall in love with the west coast. Basically we have both vowed to live there for some part of our lives. The 60 of us stayed at a church in San Diego for the first week. From there we split up into 4 groups and held VBS at four different locations. One group left us and traveled to Mexico for the week while the 3 others held VBS in Cali.
El Cajon was the location for my group's VBS. We had a BLAST just loving on kids for a week. Kids bring out the best in everyone and I got to see the big, macho guys from the youth group become like big kids when they were working. The hottest day was a Saturday so most of the kids went to the beach with their families but for the 15 that stayed to play with us in the 118 degree heat, it was the best day of the whole week. We had more fun coming up with ways to stay cool and keep kids entertained then we had any of the other days. Every night the 3 San Diego groups would reconvene at the church and after haning out for a couple of hours we get together and worship through music and one of the summer interns would speak.
The music there was unreal. I have never had more meaningful worship than I did in that intimate room with 40 of the coolest youths I know. Each night was powerful and people were not holding back. I slept in a classroom each night with 9 junior & senior girls and we had SO much fun. Mandy, our Jr. High director was also in our room and basically none of the girls listened to me (I was only like a year older than some of them) but when Mandy layed down the law at night...wow. I was basically just another one of their best buds on the trip which made them feel really comfortable to talk to me about whatever. Each night we'd get together and have "girl time" as they named it. I expected this to be when we all talked about boys and did eachothers hair and nails but I was pleasently surprised. This trip had started a movement in this youth group. They had seen through the vulnerability in the worship and talks given by the interns that there was something missing in their youth group and they were going to do something about it.
All week long there were discussions going on about how to disrupt the complacency that had taken over this youth group. It was amazing to me because some of the most passionate were not who I would have expected. SO much happened and so many people made decisions to change themselves and therefore change the group. After leading music one night I spoke to them about how many of them were on an emotional high and they cannot let that be what they rely on to keep them goin because it will die once they get back home. I shared with them that I had heard SO many great plans and that now it is time to make a way of keeping eachother accountable to those. The spirit was moving that night so we told people if they wanted to stay we would sing for a little while longer. About 13 kids stayed but while we were singing it sounded like there was a whole choir in that room with us and we all left with chills knowing we had really met with God that night.
There is so much more to share about but I need to move on to International Youth Convention. We drove up to Anaheim, CA. All 5,000 youths for this convention stayed in two hotels = chaos! It was so cool though. Music was lead by David Crowder, Jami Smith, and Chris Tomlin = AMAZING! The energy in the convention center each day was unreal. I am so blessed to have gotten to be a part of that week. Students expect IYC to be amazing but what was encouraging this year was talking with students who realized that what was started the week before and is still going on now, the movement for change among them, was so much cooler than an arena filled with 5,000 people. Many of them have come back knowing its going to be tough to start school and keep going as they have been. Although, this past Saturday was the last Xing 631 event that I am going get to be a part of before I leave. SO many kids showed up with friends and the excitement was congagious. We had a square dance and it was the BEST dance period that I have ever been to. The following Sunday morning, I was priveledged to come into youth and help with the music. The energy had not gone away. I am SO excited for the youth group. There is a movement being lead by the Holy Spirit in that place and therefore I know it is blessed and will prosper.
Please keep the Church at the Crossing Youth in your prayers. It is an exciting time!
Now, I home for 16 more days until I leave for Sierra Leone. 16 DAYS! Oh buddy! These past few day have been a roller coaster of feelings. I have been waiting for this to come for months and I couldn't be more excited. At the same time, I am sad to be leaving so many people that I love. It feels unreal to think that less than 2 1/2 weeks from today I'll be standing on African soil again.
I am so blessed. That's all I can about today. I am only $160 dollars short of my orignial $5500 goal for this trip. CRAZY! You don't even know how generous and faithful people have been so that I can go. Seriously, I am blessed. Basically all that is left to do is pack, read, and spend as much time with people as is possible. I've been reading a lot for the independent reading classes I am taking and I feel like my mind is scrambling to take hold of it all. Still, God has given me a peace about it so I'm just goin with the flow.
For these next two weeks I ask that you pray with me that I may not get overwhelmed with "tasks" and just bask in the blessings. I'm not even going to ask you to pray for the rest of the money to come in because I know God's already taken care of it.
My prayer for you is that you would take some time to realize how truly blessed you are and realize the joy that comes from that. Being blessed doesn't mean we don't have any money problems or family problem it means that we have been forgiven and the joy of being His is ours.
Blessings, blessings blessing to you,
Haley Kate
The dream of Jesus Christ: Phil 2:11 "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, TO THE GLORY OF THE FATHER." AMEN!
posted by Haley Kate @ 2:51 PM
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