Lauren's Journals in Portugal

Lauren's Journals in Portugal

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

ReCharge [WEEKEND ONE]


Stocking up for the weekend!
Can't get the truck to the back door of the kitchen so we have to
 load it up in a smaller truck and then haul it into the kitchen.
Many hands make light work!
 
 
the Winter Olympics' for our decorations

 
------the ice cube-----
 
 
the first brave soul!
 
 
the line up of people that are willing to freeze by jumping into ice cold water.
What we will do for fun!
 
 

 
Cardboard sledding making
 
  
 
Playing in the snow
 

 





 
 
 
clean up time!
this weekend wasn't anything short of a good time!
 
My Ministry...
The part I have in ReCharge (Snow Camp) is, I am on a team of 6 we call ourselves Customer Service!
We are assigned a couple youth groups and we hang out with them the whole weekend!
Staying in their cabin, having devotions with them, helping them make a sled...
Our purpose is to help the teens and the leaders have the best time, so when they go home they are closer to one another in their Church and ultimately to God.
This past weekend was such a awesome weekend to start the 7 weekends off with!
(God knows what we need when we need it!)
 
Just want to share a cool story with you...
Something that has really touched my heart and has really grown me closer to Christ--
 
I have been struggling with a lot of different things lately, struggles mean we are growing closer to God.
Well one of the struggles was just feeling like I didn't have a leadership role or not viewing the role that I am in as a leadership role... And I was fighting with discouragement and discontent...
      This past weekend at our first weekend of Recharge, my heart was into getting into the fact that Recharge was here, and I was disappointed with my job-- I was walking back to the dorm and I was praying- and I said I can either let this, let satan use this and tear me down or let God work through me. So I decided to give it to God.
     The church groups came and I had a sudden overwhelm-ness of excitement! I was so excited to hang out with the groups that I had been assigned!
      I shared with Lexi, one of the girls on my Customer Service Team, was I was going through- and she shared with my something that she was going through also, we prayed for each other and went back to the dorm.
      I got to really know the leaders that was in my two groups, but I never shared with them what I was going through.
      When it was getting time for them to leave, one of the leaders her name is Jerusha = ), she gave me a letter-
and it was so crazy!
     In her letter she wrote, "Never doubt for a second that you are a necessity to the body of Christ. This weekend would not have been the same without you! So thank you for humbling yourself before the Lord to lead our group by serving our group! a true leader is a servant so do not doubt your leadership abilities because you have servant hood abilities!"
     I cried when I read the letter, I could only see God in that... It's only through the Spirit of God that we can feel each others burden.
     Then! on top of that! Today at chapel the Pastor spoke on Servant Leadership- Just saying how sometimes we want to be in a leadership role, but God puts us in charge of something small- like cleaning toilets... or the story he shared was about the servants that took care of Abrahams donkey when he went up on Mount Moriah. He called it "donkey time"
       He also talked about the last supper and how Christ pick up the towel and washed his disciples feet.
       There is a basin, there is water, there is a towel- but nobody is picking up the towel.
He called it "towel time" we need to be the ones to pick up the towel.
        I thanked him for allowing God to use him and to speak that to us, to me. even though there was others there- I felt as though it was just for me! = )
 
Anyway! Cool story right??
 
God is so awesome! Thank you for praying for me = ) 
 
I don't normally write on my post, but this story was too cool to not share!
I pray that it will encourage you in some way- Give God the glory!
 
 
no filter....
God showing us His faithfulness...

 
random photo that I thought was pretty great!
pretty much sums it all up! 
 
 
 
progress....
working on a blanket in what ever time I have,
in my relax time, I schedule that in--
 
 
RECAPTURE--

*this weekend 3 teens stepped into an eternity with Christ by making Christ the Lord of their life
*7 teens dedicated their lives to the service of Christ!

Praise the Lord! He is doing awesome things!




Tuesday, January 7, 2014

THIS IS LIFE || another snowy day

 
Yesterday...

 
Calm...


 
Look at that sky!
 
TODAY:

 
-Evan-
Boom! Look at the GORGEOUS snow!

 
hope you don't get tired of seeing photos or hearing about all this snow...
cause I will probably RAGE about it through this whole winter!

 
Today- it's roaring.

 
simply stunning, EH?



 
Outside my window...


 
Only GOD can do this...

 
spot the cars...
 
it has made me think...
 

does any other season of the year show this much of God's handy work??

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
                   Psalm 19:1

Saturday, January 4, 2014

PREP = snow camp = Ministry = life change!

 
 
Welcome to the Great White North




 
Building the tube hill...
many hands = light work



 
Liz and I got the privilege of testing the card board sled hill
testing it for perfection- total of eleven times down the hill!

 
the final round was quite the finale!
complete with half the world's snow down my back!!
..I suppose Liz had even more so, being in the front...
oh that work can be soo fun!! 

 
Getting the job done in one day that normally takes two or even three..
Talk about men!
Here is some mighty men, working very hard!

 
The icicle was glowing so beautifully-- until the girls chopped it down...
yes, I suppose, safety first-


 
 
 
all this prep and more-
today we painted and cleaned,
swept and decorated,
 sat in listening to prep sessions and clogged our arteries with food that will give our heart an arrest!
"ain't called CARDIAC GRILL for nuttin'!" 
 
..all this to make it the best 48 hours ever!
 
soon our campus will be buzzing with activity formed by many teens and their leaders, for an intense time filled with fun!
games!
skits!
food!
Bible!
snow!
Salvation!
Sleepless!
 
check out: Recharge2014!
you can be involved with all the fun!
come hang out with us!
the purpose of it all...
Let God be glorified!
And the Gospel spread--
May each soul leave stepping closer to God.
>whether that is beginning a relationship
>or growing one that has been struggling...

How are you doing??