Wow! I realize I haven’t updated since last Thursday and this has been a very busy week! So, this may be long but I’ll update you on our outreach.
Every Saturday we do an outreach on the beach/boardwalk where we actually go out and share our faith with people we talk to whether it be locals, vacationers, etc… Last Saturday we came across a couple people preaching on a podium on the boardwalk, yelling in a megaphone that you were destined to go to hell if you did not turn and repent at that very second. They were also handing out gospel tracks printed on fake money. It’s so disheartening to see this style of evangelism because it shuts people right off; for us walking around, it was hard to get interested people simply because religion was being crammed down their throat a quarter mile down the sidewalk! But it was a great night of sharing nonetheless and we were able to talk to a family who was visiting their son in the naval base down here – turns out they live in Caledonia, MI and the son knew a mutual friend of one of the guys, Matt, who was sharing with me – small world! They were already Christian and were a good encouragement to our ministry on the beach. After that we were able to share with two brothers who were from Virginia and weren’t believers. It was awesome to see them connect with Matt as he shared with them and I know that God is working in their hearts. Every conversation is another seed planted and it’s so assuring to know that God is in control.
Sunday I attended a different church, possibly the one I will attend all summer, called Cross Current. It’s actually held in the cafeteria of small elementary school and consists of a lot of young couples or newly married families with kids. This one little girl was so adorable! She was wearing a little pink dress and sat in front of us, but the whole time during worship she kept spinning around in her dress and she was so cute. I loved the atmosphere and the pastor’s honesty and straightforward approach to the gospel.
Every Tuesday we will be putting on a night at the Dairy Queen down the road called “English Club” and the intent is to invite international students to have free ice cream and learn better English. We have conversation with them and hopefully get to share a little about our faith. There are tons of international residents in the area, most from Russia, who live and work in the US for the summer. This week was our first English Club outreach and I wasn’t sure many would come but to my surprise there were quite a few and they were so eager to practice their English! I talked with quite a few students from the Ukraine and one from Russia. It was so much fun and I really enjoyed explaining different words or phrases and learning more about their cultures. I learned that in Russia, to “go for a walk” means the same as to “go on a romantic date” in America…so when asked to go for a walk, I politely declined haha.
There is another Summer Project called Keynote where a band of musicians is put together and sent to tour around the country. One of my good friends at MSU is actually in a keynote group touring in Australia. Anyway, one of the groups in the US came and did a concert on the boardwalk and we were able to use that as another outreach. Lots of people came by and set up blankets on the lawn and there was really a decent size crowd. It provided a great opportunity to talk to people and get feedback on the band. My friend Sarah and I were able to share with two high school friends who were raised catholic and we had great conversation with them. It was easy to see that they were searching for something more in their lives and it was great to be able to explain what a relationship with God can look like. Then another friend, Grant, and I shared with two other high school girls who were also catholic. It was awesome to be able to interact with so many different people just through the music being played.
On top of all this I started my job this week and well, let’s just say I am very blessed to be employed but this job will most definitely be a test of my patience. Ocean’s 20 is connected with 2 other stores called Summer Wind and that’s where I worked this week. Business is slow right now and one day we only sold about $200 during my entire shift! Basically, my job is a lot of folding shirts and making sure no one shoplifts – haha, could you imagine me running after someone and tackling them on the sidewalk for stealing?! My boss claims he ran 16 blocks after a kid and through staplers at him to get him to stop…haha…I’m not sure I believe him. And I can’t decide if folding shirts all day will make me more aware of how I fold my own clothes or make me care even less how wrinkled they are… ;) Also, I joined a very nice gym who cut Crusade an amazing deal on membership. With so much mental, emotional, and physical demand of Project you need some kind of outlet and working out is definitely one of them!
However, I do have to say that the highlight of this week was Thursday. During our Lighthouse meeting it began storming and apparently there were two tornado warnings that we weren’t aware of as well as flooding. When we left the meeting there was about five inches of water on the road and cars were barely making it around intersections. (I also videotaped this so you can look for it on facebook). By the time we got to the hotel and about a half hour later there was a foot of water and little waves in the parking lot! It was the craziest thing so we all went out and played in the rain and played tug-o-war in the parking lot! (or I mean small lake by that time :P It was definitely the most fun we’ve had on Project so far!
Well, this has gotten pretty lengthy but one of the points made by staff that was the most crucial to me this week is that we are all where we are for a reason. No matter what you have gone through or experienced, God has you where you are. Also, at Lighthouse, the pastor explored what it meant to be an authentic Christian and how authenticity plays into our lives. This is something I feel I am continually striving for in my relationship with God - to be genuinely authentic and real with people. Fellowship with believers is key and we need people to keep us accountable. We need community with the body of Christ. God continues to work in and through my heart and is never ceasing to amaze me; his strength is assuring and his control is comforting. Thanks for all your prayer and I hope all is well with you. Enjoy your weekend!
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