Exciting Stuff

     It's official- I'm leading the China trip this year! I'm excited to go back to such a wonderful country and to reconnect with the missionaries we stayed with two years ago. The trip is going to have a different focus this year - less college-aged students, more work with children's homes and the homeless - but I know that no matter what is on our "agenda", God has a strong purpose for this short term trip. My last trip was marked by an incredible amount of learning, both from the students we encountered and the American family who invited us into their home. I have never seen such a thriving team of missionaries before and I know that I'll learn a lot from them during round two.

     So what happens next? The next practical thing that we need is for God to build our team, which will include no more than six students for ease of travel, visas, etc. As I am a part of the overarching Wesley mission trip team this year, I have been given the opportunity to help shape some of the trip financial policies for 2012-2013. On one hand, these policies will protect students by giving them hard and fast cost deadlines. On the other hand, that means that I will have to abide by the same rules, so I will need to raise support for this trip in a stricter and earlier fashion. Wesley generously gives trip leaders a 40-50% discount on the overall trip cost, but as my trip will be smaller than most, both myself and my co-leader will realistically receive 20-30% off. Two years ago, my cost ended up bring $2,500. Despite living on support, or more accurately, because I live on support, I know that God will provide just as He has countless times before. I have no means of doing this on my own, but He has all resoucres at His disposal.

End mission trip news. Begin Wesley updates.

This week's Wesley service was out of the norm because Louie Giglio came to speak to all the ministries on the UGA campus. His talk ended the month-long series that we and all other participating ministies have focused on, called Imprint. Imprint specifically challenged us as individuals to think of the "imprint" that we leave on campus and to step boldly into the call that Jesus gave us through the Great Commission. Oftentimes we think of the Commission as applying abroad only, but this month we focused on the Athens community specifically. When I heard that Louie Giglio was coming to finish the series, I was a little worried. Don't get me wrong, I've heard Louie speak multiple times and I clearly see that he is right where God wants him vocationally. My worry primarily stemmed from the possibility that the night would become some kind of hype event and completely miss the point of our gathering together.

Instead, the 3,500 plus students and ministry workers gathered on Legion Field heard the straight, unpolished truth. Louie came and preached the Holy Spirit. At one point, every single person on that field was on their hands and knees, bowing down to God and asking for His heart for Athens and for UGA. Something absolutely shifted that night, between the worship, Louie's words, and the prayers that we had prayed in the weeks before asking God to move. He really did, and I am continually amazed that God actually does all the things that He says He will! Doesn't the Bible quote Jesus as saying, "ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened"? Duh, Jessica!

Here are some pictures that I took on my phone that night. It was beautiful out under the stars, and the temperature was that wonderful mix of warm and cool, a harbringer of Fall.



Nightfall



Gathering - this blog didn't want me to put this picture first, so you get the opportunity to travel backwards through time!



Athens, Part Three

     Well, it's another year and another fresh start here in Athens and at Wesley! This year has been wonderful so far, and I look forward to the challenges that will be coming my way as I explore new parts of the internship over the next ten months.
     Unlike my previous time at Wesley, I will split my concentration between more than one ministry area. Although I will continue to help direct the International Student Ministry, I will also be taking on mission trips. This added responsibility includes making/solidifying contacts at the locations to which we will travel, booking flights/accommodations, negotiating prices, collecting money from the 400 odd people that travel with Wesley every year, and providing much needed support to the leaders of each trip. It's a lot of work, but I am very excited to be a part of such an important facet of this ministry. I am also blessed to disciple (i.e. mentor) eight girls, three of which are first year interns. At least I won't be bored!
     Being part of the trip team is helpful to me in multiple ways, as I will be leading another trip to China this summer! I will lead the trip with another intern who went on the trip two years ago as a student. Since both of us have experienced a bit of China in the past, I hope that we can brainstorm and pray for God to reveal how to improve and strengthen the trip. We want to be a blessing to the missionaries that we visit there and we want this trip to impact both us and the people we meet. If there is anything that I have learned from going on/leading short term trips, it's that intentionality is key!
     Below are a few pictures from our most recent Snack n Chat, a photo scavenger hunt. I don't have any pictures of the actual running around, but I can confirm that we made the groups work hard for their points - we made sure that we included places from all over downtown Athens on the list! Many of our students were stressed about important upcoming tests, so it was nice to hang out and enjoy ourselves.

Thanks for reading!

Awaiting instructions

The winning group!