diving in & going deep

Wow. Cali is so great already and in just one week I’ve already done so many great things! Here's a few...

Experiencing the ocean for my
first time.

My first California burrito.
French fries meets Mexican?
My mouth was confused.

Long boarding around SD.

First time paddle boarding!

Hanging out at Tower 19 with new friends.

Alright, I know what you’re thinking from the pictures and no, it’s not all fun and games here. This first week has been all sorts of crazy. Here's a brief overview that may turn out to be not so brief. Sorry, should have gotten to this earlier in the week!

On Tuesday morning my flight went smoothly and I arrived to San Diego right on schedule. I took a shuttle with a few other girls who got in around the same time to the Project location. Soon after we had our first meeting. We met in a grassy area right next to the bay where we did our first few introductions and our project director, Ethan, gave us some words of encouragement for the summer, pushing us to dive in.   

Wednesday we had project orientation and our DNA groups did something called “soul to soul”, where we shared our testimonies and took time to get to know one another. “What’s a DNA group?” you might ask. Well, I’ll briefly tell you. Each DNA group consists of 4 girls (one being a student staff member who disciples the other 3 of us) and contains 3 things: Divine Truth, Nurturing community, and Apostolic mission. I imagine that I’ll go into more detail on that later. 

My DNA group! Student staff member, Rachel, on the far right.
She's our discipler for the summer. Oh! & fun fact, there are
actually 5 Rachel's on project. It's confusing.

Thursday was a big day of job searching. In our DNA groups we went out around San Diego searching for employment. Kind of intimidating since San Diego isn’t all that small! No luck for me yet, although I do have a couple leads. (Prayer that I’d find a job would be much appreciated!). After a long day walking around the city, we came back and went out evangelizing for our first time as a project. Each DNA group got assigned a different area and we went out and started spiritual conversations.

Friday we did some more evangelism training and went out around the mission beach area talking to people again. One of the things we also do when we converse with people is invite them to “Friday Night Live” that takes place each week. This is a time where people around the community and around San Diego have a chance to come worship with us and have an opportunity to hear the Gospel. So, after going out sharing we had our first FNL. 

Saturday was another big day of job searching. A few of us girls headed over to Fashion Valley and handed out our resumes there! Fashion Valley is an outdoor mall and it’s really sweet. After a long day of walking there we came back and walked some more for this thing we did called a staff hunt. Each one of the project staff members disguised themselves and went to different locations with about a mile and a half or so radius around mission beach. The objective was that whoever found the most staff wins (my team won, by the way!). It was super fun and cool to see how creative all the staff got with it.

Rachel & her disguise. 

Lauren's Disguise.

Winning rules! And we won a gift card to
the local "Better Buzz" coffee shop!

That brings me to today, Sunday. Gosh, there really is so much to explain so I'll try my best. This first week everyone on project was assigned to a ministry team that meets each week. Each ministry team plays a different role that is essential to keeping project organized. To name a few, there's evangelism team, mens & women's team, community team, prayer team, etc. I'm on training team. Basically, we're being trained how to tangibly take what we learn here and apply it back on our campus, such as leading small groups. On this team we will be taught how to lead DNA groups on the campus we go to here in San Diego, and it will be our job to take over our project DNA groups when the staff leaves after the first month! Off of that, each ministry team is assigned to a church for the summer, so this morning we attended Clairmont Emmanuel Baptist church and it was so great to meet some of the people there. They were so welcoming to us! After arriving back to project, we had our ministry team meetings and then ended the day with our weekly whole project meeting. At tonights meeting, another staff member, Max encouraged us with this next week's theme, "going deeper."

Well, that’s my first week in a nutshell. The months leading up to project are over and now I’m here, living it out. The preparation was not always easy, but its over and I’m ready to follow Jesus wherever he leads me this summer. Each one of us has had a different journey, but we’ve all had to dive in and trust God. And that is what I am going to continue to do this summer. I am going to trust God and let him guide me. This week I do intend to go deeper, to continue to press in, take off any masks I’ve been putting on, and get past the surface level. I have a past behind me and an opportunity in front of me, an opportunity to really get to know these people and more importantly to deepen my relationship with Christ. As I continue on this journey there will be times that may be tough, times that I’ll want to give up. When that happens I won’t tell my self to try harder by my own strength, but rather I'll remind myself that God is good and that by His goodness and His grace I can press on. His hope is an anchor for my soul. 

Continued prayers as we go out on campuses this week and as I continue my job search! Hope to post again soon!

-Rachel

Here I come, San Diego.

Here it is. Here is the time that I’ve been anticipating for the past 5 months. Actually, I'm sitting in the airport waiting for my flight right now. Today I leave for what could quite possibly be one of the best (and most challenging) summers of my life. It will be a summer of fun and adventure, of sunshine and new friends, but most importantly it will be a summer of growth in my walk with Christ while I help advance the Gospel.

This summer I have an incredible opportunity to go on a Summer Missions project through Cru (formerly Campus Crusades for Christ). I will be joining 100 other students in San Diego, CA (YES! SAN DIEGO!) to be a part of a summer of learning skills in leadership and ministry. While on this project I will be part of an active Christian community that has a heart for the lost, and will have the opportunity to bring Christ into the workplace as well.  We will be active with ministry outreach on the beach and on campuses such as San Diego State and UCSD. At the same time, I will be part of a small group Bible study and involved in discipleship ministry.

This is a huge step of faith for me and to be honest I'm scared out of my mind. But I believe that God is planning to use this summer to equip me with a heart and lifestyle change that will benefit me for the rest of my life! 

In order to take part in this adventure I needed to raise almost $4000. God has indeed continued to show his faithfulness as he brought every dollar in. I am so thankful for my friends and family who have decided to be a part of my team by supporting me in prayer and also financially.  

As I prepare to leave I have so many emotions going through my head and my heart. I’m anxious. I’m fearful. I’m excited. But I think most of all, I’m ready. I’m ready to take risk for the Lord and to see how he will stretch my faith and mold my heart, and to trust him daily as He leads me in His will. I'm ready to increase my understanding of God's Word, deepen my relationship with Him, and be more obligated for reaching people with the Gospel.  I'm ready to meet new people and soak up that Cali sun!

So here I go. Remember me in your prayers, please, and keep checking back here for updates on my summer in SanDee!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6

-Rachel

school's out, summer's in. what a great year!

This past Friday I finished my sophomore year of college and I can't even wrap my mind around where the last two years have gone. As I reflect on this past school year I am amazed at everything that has happened. I have grown more than I could have imagined and made memories I'll never forget. Here are 10 of the MANY things I've witnessed:

1. "God loves us too much to leave us where we're at." Ok you've heard this before, but it is so true. Sometimes we get to that point where we think we know everything and don't have any room left for growth. Don't kid yourself. There's ALWAYS room for improvement and I am so grateful that God loves me so much that he continues to work in my heart and reveal his glory to me in new ways.

2. I've been blessed with great friendships. It is no coincidence that these girls are my very best friends. They ROCK. They make me laugh. They care. They hold me accountable. They are always there to encourage me during the tough times as well as celebrate the good ones. They have such a special place in my heart & I don't know where I would be without them! It's been amazing to see how my friendship with each one of them has grown throughout the year.

"Good friends help you to find important things when you have lost them... your smile, your hope, & your courage."

3. Being a Jackrabbit is awesome. Some of my favorite memories are attending Jackrabbit sporting events with great friends. Run Rabbits!

4. Thrift Store prom is just as fun the second year in a row. Man, rugs were cut FOSHO. So fun. Such great people.

5. People mess up. They make mistakes. But we are covered by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and through his death on the cross we are forgiven! He makes up for where we fall short, he is making all things new! Because of this we can now forgive others.

6. It's ok to do crazy things. If the tattoo sleeves are out it's bound to be a crazy time. Oh heck, even if the tattoo sleeves aren't out and this girl is around. Let the adventures continue!

7. I'm getting old. In March I turned 20. 20! I'm not a teen anymore! It rules. Ok so I'm not really old, but like I said, I just finished my sophomore year of college and I can hardly believe it. Plus, nothing says getting older like a barbie cake, right? :) A special thanks to my good friend Mariah for that one.

8. Sometimes our dreams are shattered so we discover our desire to encounter Christ. I read the book "Shattered Dreams" by Larry Crabb this semester. It's one of the better books I've read and I would highly recommend you read it. He writes:

"One way God works is to allow our lower dreams to shatter. He lets us hurt and doesn't make it better... in fact, what he's doing while we suffer is leading us into the depths of our being, into the center of our soul where we feel our strongest passions. It's there that we discover our desire for God. We begin to feel a desire to know Him that not only survives our pain, but actually thrives in it until that desire becomes more intense than our desire for all the good things we still want. Through the pain of shattered lower dreams, we wake up to the realization that we want an encounter with God more than we want the blessings of life. And that begins a revolution in our lives."

9. It's okay to take risks. True friendships take vulnerability, and its so worth it! The best friendships comes when you let yourself open up.

10. God is faithful. I saved this for last, but it is most definitely not the least. If there is one thing I've learned all year, it's this. I'm so thankful I can look back and see how God has helped me through every trial and every victory. I am so thankful for everything He does for me and how he works all things out for my good. To Him be all glory!

Like I said, it has been such a great year and I praise God for how he has been with me through it all. I can't wait for what this summer has in store and how He is going to continue to work in my heart!

"Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21

School's out, people! Summer's in! Bring on the San Diego beaches! (more on that later)
-Rachel

The Proverbs 31 Woman

About a month ago I started following a blog called "A Girl Like Me" written by a couple of the wives of the band Tenth Avenue North. These girls are serious about the Lord, pointing toward his truth in every post.  They are currently doing a series on what it really looks like to be a Proverbs 31 woman. They do a great job digging into each verse and It's been really encouraging and convicting for me already. So all you ladies out there looking to be more like the woman described in Proverbs 31, click here to check out their first post on this topic. I don't think you'll regret it!

Keep hoping in Christ! 

-Rachel

Teach us your ways, O Lord.

Psalm 86: 10-12

For you are great and do wondrous things;

you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart to revere your name. 

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God,

with my whole heart,

and I will glorify your name forever.

This is the prayer of my heart as I seek to follow God in all things. I pray that my heart would be fixed completely on him, always honoring his name. May he teach us his ways and continue to show us his steadfast love. Be praying for God's guidance as you finish up your week! Remember that he alone is God! Praise him for all the great things that he is doing in your life. 

His wounds have paid my ransom

Hallelujah! He is RISEN! He is risen indeed! Those words bring me so much hope. I am so thankful for Jesus' death on the cross to cover my sins that put him there in the first place, and even more thankful for his victory over death that enables me to overcome those sins through him! I've had Selah's version of How Deep the Father's Love For Us on repeat these last few days. Give it a listen and be reminded of how much our Father loves us, that he sent his Son to save us through His death on the cross! 

Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer. 

But this I know with all my heart: His wounds have paid my ransom. 

Happy Easter! Remember that we serve a risen Savior! Hallelujah!

hello again

Hello again, world of blogging.

Gosh, it has been awhile since I've posted. I've been doing a lot of blog searching and reading lately... there's something about them that are so exciting to me. I love reading people's ideas and thoughts and seeing how neat of a tool this is to share how God moves in people's lives! Let me tell you, there are some great blogs out there. People are so creative.

I hope to do some serious remodeling in the next couple of weeks -- I really want to get this thing up and running! So please, bear with me as I try to make my way into posting more often!

-Rachel

Taylor & Marissa - [Engagement Shoot]

It's about time I got these finished up. I grew up going to Shetek Bible Camp with these two and it's been sweet seeing how their relationship has grown. So happy for them and love how their pictures turned out! This is just a few of the best ones from the day. What a beautiful couple! Wishing you guys the best!