5 lbs. of sweat…

So, I’ve been continuing my training for the marathon this summer among our busy schedule of Super Summer’s and office work days. This morning AJ (one of the interns who I convinced to run with me this summer) and I ran a 6 mile run. It was the first 6 mile run I have done in Jefferson City, and boy was it hilly! I miss the relative flatness of Springfield! I weighed this morning before we left, and then again when we got back and I think I lost about 5 lbs. of sweat! I was really excited for AJ too . . . He had run in high school, but hadn’t run in a while, and started running with me during our Super Summer week in Hannibal, and he finished the 6 miles today only about 4 minutes behind me. Good job buddy!

On to other news, it has been a great week back in the office, busy with lots of projects like counting, sorting, storing all of the resources and supplies we took with us to Super Summer (I always hate having to sort thing back after a long trip, and that’s what this felt like), they “remodeled” … basically made a new hallway and closed off a door in our offices, and were getting ready to switch around some of the office arrangements, so we’ve been making some of those changes in the office too. My favorite parts of the week have been serving at the Salvation Army. Our intern team went to the Salvation Army twice this week to prepare and serve lunch for the residents there. It was cool to be able to serve them in that way, and to start to make some connections with the people. We’ll be going back next week on Wednesday to assist with a VBS that they asked for help with, and were invited to come on Thursday just to come and eat with them. We also plan to go back and serve more this summer. That was great!

In addition to all of that, I’ve had some things come up that are requiring a lot of thought and causing some mental fatigue, so I’ve been trying to handle that as well!

Anyhow, thought it was about time for another brief update! Hope everyone is doing well!
-E

100…

This is my 100th post … woo hoo!!

Super Summer …

Well, thought it was about time to bring a brief update for the summer since I’ve been away from internet most of the last week, and have a few days off now, I thought I should bring you up to date and give you some visuals from Super Summer.

The last two weeks one of my main responsibilities was as a small group leader for the students attending Super Summer that just graduated high school and are moving into college, work, service, etc. We were the SILVER team … each age group is assigned a color to identify themselves as… we got silver, I wondered if they just thought that was the most appropriate color to signify those that were getting older … okay it was a lame joke, but I laughed when I thought about it.

I had great small groups for both weeks of Super Summer, there are always brief moments when it is hard leading a small group and it always takes a little while to “get comfortable” with each other, but both of my groups ended up being really great, and I think that God is really at work in some of those young men’s lives. It is exciting to see. Our “curriculum/teaching” was based on the ideas of movements, and joining the movement. I really just wanted to walk through the week with my groups and help them process what God was doing in their lives and encourage them along the way. It was also a goal to help them to see that God wants them to “join the movement” right where they are. They are in the positions in life that they currently find themselves for a reason, and God wants to use them right there! So, I’m really praying for them, and for God to continue to work in their lives to break strongholds, and to show them which steps to take for Him.

It’s really been a privilege to work with some of the sharpest young people in the state of Missouri the last few weeks as fellow small group leaders. There were probably close to 30 small group leaders each week, and these young men and women continually poured their lives into the lives of youth, counseled them, prayed with/for them, and had such great servant’s hearts. I was encouraged to see a generation of college students surrendering their lives for a week, two weeks, or the whole summer to serve the Lord in that capacity. Great job guys! Lives were changed for eternity, and God chose to use you in that!

This weekend, we have the weekend off, and I was home in Springfield to relax, participate in a team long run with my training team for the marathon, and to celebrate Sarah’s birthday. Happy Birthday Tomorrow, one of the interns that I’m working with for the summer is leading worship for a church in the area with his band, so I’m going to go show my support, and then head up to Green Ridge to visit my dad for a few hours on Father’s Day before heading back to Jefferson City tomorrow evening for our church worship service.

A brief update, hopefully I’ll get to do that a little more often the next few weeks. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from Super Summer:

-E

Mufa Puffa (Obstacle Course during Rec. one day … they did it all carrying a can of soda and then had to chug it at the end):

Worship/band:

Silver team:

Ho Ho’s or Swiss Cake Rolls

Today, we put to rest the age old question of which was better . . . Ho Ho’s or Swiss Cake Rolls … It had been a debated topic in the house the first few weeks. So, today on our trip to Wal-Mart we bought a box of each and had a blind taste test between 5 of us.
The results:
Only 2 of us could correctly identify which was which based on touch and taste, and the taste preference was that 4 out of 5 named Swiss Cake Rolls as the best tasting based on the blind taste test. So the debate can finally be put to rest that Swiss Cake Rolls are definitely better!

Okay, so we aren’t just spending our time on blind taste tests and the like … we actually had a great week at Bolivar for Super Summer week 1, and will leave in the morning for Super Summer week 2 in Hannibal. Our team of interns are being small group leaders in several of the different teams as well as helping out with other random responsibilities like helping sell items at the merchandise table in the evenings, etc. Tomorrow will be a busy day as we get things set up in Hannibal and prepare for the students to show up on Monday afternoon.

2 questions:
1) What are you doing with your summer?
2) Which do you think is better, Ho Ho’s or Swiss Cake Rolls

here comes week one of camp…

This past week was spent in preparation for our first week of Super Summer camp, which will be at the SBU campus in Bolivar starting Monday.
So far this weekend we had training for the Super Summer Small Group Leaders. The leaders all showed up for the Friday-Saturday training on Friday evening, and we completed training last night. It was a good time for the teams to all get together, begin to get to know one another and for them to start making plans for camp this coming week. I was given the awesome privilege of leading worship for this training. I love doing that, and honestly am always stunned and honored when I’m asked to do that. It was fun though. I led and had my new friend AJ (who is one of the interns I am working with this summer) played guitar with me as well.
This morning the rest of the crew headed over to Bolivar to get things set up on the campus, however, I stayed behind to help lead worship for church here in Jefferson City (our church meets in the evening) and will head to Bolivar tonight after our service.

I could go on about the details of what is going ON here(which I’m sure have you sitting on the edge of your chair) but I won’t. Instead I’ll share a little about what God has been doing IN my life in the last few weeks:
I think God is making some major changes in my life. My perspective is changing, my attitude towards God and those things that are in opposition to Him and His Word are changing, I’m learning a greater dependence on Him, I’m longing for the Word every day, I’m learning more about what discipleship is and looks like, I’m starting to have new dreams and goals for life (albeit vague at the moment), and I’m learning to live every day (and trying to live every moment) looking ahead, toward the return of Christ which is why I live, and longing for that time to come and to be able to hear “well done …”. Life changes a lot when you put thoughts, actions, behaviors, etc through that filter. Priorities change. Things that once seemed important now find their way to the back of the line, and the things that really matter come into view.
I’m excited for this journey … life, and for whatever it is that God has in store for me. I wish I was in a place to say that I knew where that would be in the next 2-3 months, but I don’t right now, and I’m okay with that, b/c I know that for right now, I’m exactly where God wants me to be, and I trust Him totally that He will show me the next step.

Side note:
I sprained my ankle a few weeks ago, and this week was the first time I had run since then … I’ve done 15 miles this week, and our official training for the Chicago marathon starts this coming Tuesday!!! Only 4 months away until the big race and running 26.2 miles for Africa!

-E

life in community …

Well, it’s becoming increasingly evident that I’m not going to have a lot of “down time” this summer. I expected as much, but have come to learn it as reality over the last few days.
Our time this week has been spent primarily in the Student Ministry Offices of the Missouri Baptist Convention preparing for Super Summer, last minute details like getting room assignments squared away for all of the participants, putting together their packets of information, making phone calls to churches and youth pastors to follow up on different things. It’s been busy, but actually quite enjoyable.
The evenings are great! They look a little different, and I’m sure a lot of people would think that we were crazy to live like this, but it’s going to be an amazing summer. I’m living in a house with 11 people. Myself and three other male, college aged interns or employees of the MBC. 5 female interns or MBC employees. And our gracious hosts for the summer Matt and Julie. Each evening we sit down as a family for a home cooked meal around the dinner table, enjoy a walk in the neighborhood or a little down time before meeting together for a devotional or a discussion on a book, the Master Plan of Evangelism(I’ve read it before, its definitely worth the time), that we’re walking through together this summer. The only way to describe what we’re doing is just to say that we’re “doing life together.” We all have the common goal of growing closer to, and serving God this summer, and as we do that, we’ll work together, eat together, live together, laugh together, cry together, and be there for one another. What an awesome opportunity to get to share my life with these young men. I often feel like I don’t have a lot to offer in the way of wisdom or advice or anything, but I know that God has me here for a reason, and I hope that there is something that I can contribute that will be of value to these people that I am sharing my life with for the summer.
God is working in me in big ways, I know He is. We were challenged today to write down our expectations of the summer, and the first thing that came out on my piece of paper was: “I expect my life to change drastically”
I think it is.
I’m excited for that, scared for that, but looking with anticipation for what God is doing and will continue to do this summer.

I’m not sure how often my schedule will permit me to write large updates, especially when we start our weeks of camp on Monday, but I’ll try to at least give brief posts as I’m able. I covet your prayers this summer for me and my team.
E