BOOTCAMP

Today is day 2 of boot camp, and yes, my body hurts.  We left Kansas City at 5am on friday morning and drove around 12 hours to a small town north of Dayton, called Lewiston.  We are staying in an old school that was converted into a youth retreat center.  It seriously is in the middle of nowhere!  The town consists of a few houses and farms...not even a Wal Mart!  :)  Our team will be staying here training for two weeks as well as another group that travels with Impact World Tour, Island Breeze.  It is just dancers that are here with our team, the skaters and DJ will be arriving next week.  

We begin dance training at 9 every morning, so I have been trying to get up around seven so I can spend some time in God's Word.  We then dance from 9-5 with a lunch break.  After that we shower and eat dinner.  We have different people from churches around the area cooking for us, which is awesome!  After dinner, we usually have a teaching time or prayer and worship time.  After that, hang out for a little and then off to bed!  I am staying in a room with all the girls and lots of bunk beds!  I have been helping teach a few of the dances, which has been really fun.  We are also changing our program so we have been learning new choreography as well.  

After the two weeks of training all 3 full teams of Impact World Tour will be arriving for our Encounter God weekend.  This is an intense few days of prayer, worship, intercession, teaching, and anything else God decides to do!  It is a time to really prepare our hearts for outreach and ministry.  It is always an awesome time and God definitely shows up and gets us ready.  God has been teaching me tons already, sometimes its like a system overload! :)  I LOVE learning though and I have come to a point of desperation for God and knowing Him more.  And as promised, when we seek Him, we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart.  He has really shown His faithfulness in meeting me in the secret place.  

It's crazy to think that I have only been here two days, it already seems we have done so much!  I am so excited for the outreach to start.  I waited a long time for this, and now I am here!  Our team has really been challenged first by God, and then by each other, to not settle for what is "normal" in GX, but to break out of the mold and see what God can really do.  We are excited to pursue Him with everything and see where He takes us.  I know it will be crazy!  Off to dinner now....

10 hour van ride ahead....

I am sitting in my room in Kansas City wondering where I even begin. I have plastic bags filled with supplies, clean and dirty laundry, a half packed suitcase, and an overloaded brain. It seems like it took forever for this outreach to come, and now that I am leaving in 2 days it seems like I don't have enough time! I guess that's what they call procrastination...

As each day brings me closer and closer to beginning God's work in Ohio, the attack from the enemy seems to be increasing. Sometimes it's in big ways and sometimes its as small as my cell phone breaking a few days before I am leaving. But through each situation God has continued to show that He is greater, He is more powerful, He is faithful, and He is MY God. He has reminded me that He really does work all things together for good for those who love Him and keep His commands. Sometimes it saddens me to think how often I have to be reminded of the same things, but His patience never wears thin and His love still abounds still more and more for me!

When I brought my cell phone in to get fixed they said it would take 3 days for it to be sent to me...which didn't work because I was leaving in 3 days. When I called the insurance company they told me it would get here the next day! This definitely took some stress away from me...thank you Jesus! God has also been faithful with my finances. Money has definitely been a little tight and I tried my hardest to have faith and really believe that God would provide, but sometimes I got a little freaked out. Well, I had one of those freak out days yesterday when I looked at my bank account and realized there was no way I had enough money to pay my team fees, let alone have gas for the rest of this week. This time, however, instead of dwelling on my freak out and getting down and discouraged, I decided to praise God. I tried to remind myself of His faithfulness and of His promises. Then last night, my mom called and said that someone had called her and told her God had told them to support me. They had known for two months they were supposed to, but were waiting for the right time. Then yesterday, God told them now was the right time. The amount of the check ended up being exactly what I needed for team fees! Just thinking of it makes my heart burst! God really never does cease to amaze me!

Well, I am still sitting in my room having accomplished nothing, as I have been writing this, so I guess it is time to begin the process of packing. I leave Friday for Dayton and we begin our two weeks of training. Get ready for sore muscles....