Back in KC at last

Hey yall!

I'm home safe in Kansas City. It was a long stretch between the last posts and I apologize. Things really got down to business during the last couple weeks.

I finished up working at Old Time Pottery and said goodbyes. It was hard to leave some of my coworkers behind, not so hard to leave the job. I am so grateful that I was able to work everyday and earn enough to support me this coming year. Our bosses were even sad to see us go and they want us to come back next year! It was incredible to see how they accepted us more and more throughout the summer, to the point that they were sad to see us leave. It was a great experience and I learned a lot about myself through it. It was a challenge to step outside my comfort zone and take the initiative to meet new people and talk intentionally with them. I made some great friendships and I hope I can keep those up.

Pretty quickly it turned into a string of "lasts". We had our last campus prayer, our last D-group night, and our last TNT meeting. Looking at the growth of myself and the other students around me was so encouraging. God did something incredible this summer and it's bound to overflow onto campus here in a couple of weeks. The last Saturday we went out on the beach and shared the gospel was bittersweet. On the one hand I'm not keen on walking up to strangers and starting a spiritual conversation but on the other hand it was such a stretching and growing experience for me. The stories that took place this summer are more than enough proof that God was using 150 willing college students to change the Gulf Shores area. During back-to-campus week we were told that we shared the gospel over 1300 times on the beach this summer with 181 people accepting Christ and changing their eternity. God did something amazing in Gulf Shores this summer and I am so blessed to have been able to be a part of it.

Back-to-campus week was intense. It was 3 full days of reviewing what we learned and studied this summer as well as casting a vision for KSU this fall and for our more specific spheres of influence, where we're living, our major, etc. We made so many goals and I got some specific time with my sisters in AXO to talk about our plan for the house. The team that went to India this summer joined us and shared about their experiences over there. It was so amazing to see how God has plans for Kaleo, for campus, and for the world and He's eager to use people like us if we're willing to obey and commit. I'm so pumped to see how God uses us back on campus. I can't wait to get back to Manhattan and put into practice all of the lessons and tools that I learned from this summer. More than anything I'm stoked for people to see the change in me and for me to be able to answer with absolute certainty that Jesus Christ is the reason for that change.

Thank you so much for supporting me with prayers this summer. This summer would not have been possible without all of you! It's because of you that this opportunity became a reality for me this summer. I know that God will continue to use me to make an impact in the world. KSU is just the beginning and I can't wait to see what plans He has for me next!

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer requests:
*Pray that we would continue to strive after God's will for our lives. It will be more difficult back on campus without the "Kaleo" environment constantly around us to really pursue God with as much fervor as we did this summer.
*Pray that Gulf Shores would remember the work we did there this summer and they would remember the reason we were down there and they would continue to be spiritually hungry.
*Pray for the employees of Old Time Pottery that those relationships would still grow even though we're not working together.
*Pray for the over1200 people that were given decision opportunities to receive Christ and didn't. Pray that they would hear the gospel over and over until they realize that it is the truth and the only way to Heaven. Pray that they would continue seeking out answers to questions and desiring to know the Truth.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AGAIN!!!!! IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE SUMMER. LIVES WERE CHANGED THIS SUMMER, OURS AND OTHERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE A PART OF THIS MISSION!!!!!! 

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME :) 

Busy Weekend

Hello!

It's been a busy weekend here in Gulf Shores but it's been so much fun!

On Friday night we had a group social. In true StuMo fashion it was, of course, a dance party! Haha. It was really fun just to hang out with everyone and act all goofy. The theme was neon colors so we were all "glowing" under the black lights that were set up. Hard to believe it was the first planned dance party we've had all summer. They usually happen much more frequently. :)

Saturday we had evangelism training. This week was more focused on what that will look like back on campus and how evangelism isn't an event, it's a process. There is a relationship built with the people who you share your faith with, whether it's 2 minutes or 2 years it is still a process of explaining the gospel to them and also showing them the example of your life. Then we went to the beaches; I got to go share with Connie, a girl in my sorority. I've loved seeing how God is providing for our project. Despite the oil spill and double red flags most weekends (which means you can potentially get ticketed if you're caught swimming) there are still people out on the beaches. Many times there isn't a big selection of people and so, while we're aiming to share with people close to our own age, we get to share with older, younger, and everywhere in between. This weekend I shared the bridge illustration with a woman named Shannon. After talking to her it was apparent that she was a believer by her answers and her attitude. After we were done sharing the illustration, we just asked her more about her life story. She told us that she married very young, found out after she married that the guy was an atheist and that the relationship just went downhill from there. She got out of the relationship but had a hard time trusting people and being lonely. She really wanted a family. As she got older she began to think that maybe that just wasn't God's plan for her life. Starting a family was the last bit of her life that she was trying to control on her own, she said, and once she gave that control to God and fully surrendered He blessed her with everything she could have asked for. She's now married to a man who loves God first, trusts in Him for everything and can lead her spiritually. She has 2 little boys and twin girls, the family she always dreamed of. Her story was so encouraging to us. It's the perfect example that God wants to give us what our hearts desire if we are willing to surrender control to Him and trust that His plan for our life is better than any one we could come up with. If we are willing to make Him the Lord of our life, our will becomes aligned with His, and He blesses us greatly.

Saturday night, we decided to have a girls' night. My group and two other D-Groups went to dinner and then we went to the Track, an arcade/amusement park, then went and got ice cream. It was a great opportunity to hang out and get to know some of the girls we hadn't really gotten a lot of time to get to know yet.

Today at church the sermon was all about financial freedom. Brother Lloyd focused on how everything we have is given to us by God, and how we're just borrowing it. He spoke about how God is the Owner and we're the managers. It was a cool message. Then after church we went to lunch with one of the guys' groups that we go to church with. We tried out Bahama Bob's Diner. It was really good, right on the beach. Getting to talk and laugh with the guys and just get to know them better was a blast, too.

Right now I'm getting ready to go read for a little while, something that doesn't happen much here because we're always so busy. I'm reading "The Fuel and the Flame" by Steve Shadrach. It's all about how if we will become the fuel God will use us to set our campus/workplace/wherever on fire for Him. Highly recommended! After that I have a meeting with my D-Group leader to go over my plans for leading Bible study on Tuesday. We're getting the chance to lead our group's study so we can see what it looks like to plan and lead a study for others and just getting practice in. It's been really neat to see how that all works. So, off I go! Thanks for checking in! Until next time...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer requests:
*Shannon- Pray that she would continue to be strong in her faith and that God would give her the desire to take the next step and begin sharing her faith with those around her.
*Time- Pray that we will use the couple weeks we have left here wisely. Pray that all the progress that we've made so far could be doubled in the last couple weeks and that we would start getting prepared to go back to campus.

Satsong and TNT

Hey guys!

Last night we had the cool opportunity to participate in an Indian Satsong, which is a sort of worship service that is pretty typical among the (few) believers in India. Mark, one of the guys who has been living in India led it. He was the guy that spoke at our missions conference about living, working, and laboring in India. We had a time of prayer, then we learned some chants in Hindi and also a hymn. After that we read the story of Jesus calming the storm and discussed in small groups. My favorite part was definitely the hymn. They had the Hindi words, which we sang, and the translation both up on the screen. It blew my mind to think that if it weren't for the translation up there I would have no idea what I was saying... BUT GOD DOES! This, more than anything else, was proof to me that God is a God of the world, not just of Kaleo, or K-State, or Kansas, but of the world. It was really humbling and so cool to know that He heard and understood every word we were singing. Later that night, my D-group got the chance to meet with Mark and ask questions about missions, India, and his ministry there. It was amazing to hear stories, see how the process works, and learn about the culture in India. I am really loving learning more, and the more I learn the more I can feel my heart growing for these people.

Tonight's TNT was all about eternal perspective. Jordan spoke about how our purpose in life is for eternal things. He talked about how we're not guaranteed tomorrow and so we should make the most of today. He said that after a near-death experience his whole outlook on life changed. We should not let anyone come into our lives and leave without hearing the gospel. There is no promise that we have tomorrow so we should not waste time just because we think we will have more of it. This went along perfectly with the book I just finished reading, One Heartbeat Away, by Mark Cahill. I would definitely recommend it. It seemed like it was geared more towards non-believers but I think it served as a great reminder for me as well.

Short update, I know. Thanks for checking in! Until next time...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer Requests:
*India- That God would be growing my, and other peoples', hearts for this nation where the harvest is SO plentiful but the laborers are SO few.
*Mark McIntyre- He's home on furlough right now and is getting ready to head back. For save travel and reassurance that Jesus is worth what he's doing
*The teams in India- We have a summer team there now who are getting ready to head back home. A new wave of people are going this fall to join the people who are in India long-term. Pray that the teams would connect well and really have a unified vision for the nation and their ministry
*Eternal perspective- Pray that all of here at Kaleo would begin to see just how short of a time we have to make an impact, and that we would use that time well and make an eternal impact in the lives of those we come into contact with!

New identity, new purpose

Hey y'all!

I'm sitting in Panera in Destin, FL still absorbing everything that I've heard from the missions conference this weekend. Todd Ahrend was the speaker. I've heard him talk several times, at SMC last winter, at StuMo nights at KSU, and now here at Kaleo. He is so much fun to listen to and I learn so much without even knowing that I'm learning. He talked a lot about how many of the major missions movements in history were started by people my age and how students have such an opportunity to make an impact on the world. It really got me thinking that it might be something I want to do for a couple years. I definitely know that after this summer I won't feel the same about short-term mission trips. You have to stay if you're truly going to make a difference somewhere. He also talked about the things that typically hold people back from going overseas and how all of them are selfish reasons. God calls us to make disciples of all the nations. As a college graduate I won't have to worry about house payments, kids, maybe even a job. I'll have the freedom to dedicate a couple years to people that might never have another opportunity to hear the gospel. How cool would it be if by the time I'm 30 I can say that I reached an unreached people group? That because of me there are churches planted and growing in anywhere from remote tribes to the inner cities of India? Answer: REALLY COOL!

Another message that really impacted me this week was our StuMo night on Thursday. (I know, I know, they're always good!!) Cody spoke about our identity being found in Christ. He talked about how the things we're most dedicated to are the things that are going to show in our daily lives and they're the things that people will recognize us by, and how Christ should be that identifying factor that makes us stand out.

I'm a little behind on my study so I had to make this one kind of short. Hope to update again soon!! Until then...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer Requests:
*That God would use this conference this weekend to really grow our hearts for the world and give us a vision to reach those people
*That God would be the identifying factor in our lives, and that people would be able to see that what makes us different is our personal relationship with Christ

Long time, no update

Hey all!

Again, I am sorry for the scarcity of info. It's been jam-packed here in Gulf Shores!

Highlights: StuMo Nights, Relationships Conference, KU Staff, Campus Prayer, group date, and 4th of July barbeque!

First, StuMo Nights! June 24 was focused on the topic of fellowship. Brandon, one of the people on staff at Oklahoma, came to speak to us. He kept repeating the phrase, "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future." He emphasized the importance of our inner circle of friends, then the other rings. He described it as a bullseye. Your inner circle is made up of the people who are closest to you and influence you the most. As believers, as well as laborers, it is important that we are careful who we allow into this inner circle because none of us (no matter what we want to believe) are above peer pressure. We want to make absolutely sure that the people in this small group of friends are going to be people who encourage us in our faith and spur us on to grow daily. Those relationships are so important in our lives. The "middle circle" are those who are still friends but who don't have quite the influence on our lives. These are relationships that we are working on growing, people we are investing in spiritually or the people we're just not as close to. The outer ring is typically just acquaintances and they usually don't influence our lives much at all. Brandon really encouraged us to evaluate our inner circle and maybe make some changes to it. He gave examples of his best friends from high school and where they are all at now as opposed to the inner circle he found in college that really encouraged him spiritually and helped him in his growth. He emphasized the importance of evaluating and even rearranging without "booting anyone out" of our lives because we don't want to lose friendships that we already have but we need to make sure that if people are going to be in our inner circle that their influence is one that helps us in our faith.

Then, this past Thursday Heath spoke about evangelism. He talked a lot about cost versus benefit of sharing the gospel, which is a big part of what we're learning to do this summer. He made the point that sharing the gospel should be a lifestyle, not just an activity. The costs were our image, our comfort, and our life. Dramatic? Yeah, it sounds like it, but it's really worth it. The things we gain from these costs are a greater view of Christ and how to be more like him, our true purpose in life fulfilled, and having an impact on the eternity of those we come into contact with. That's definitely something that has really hit me this summer. I'm not learning and growing simply to benefit myself anymore. The things I learn and put into practice back on campus this fall affect people's eternity. Heath gave the example of Edward Kimball, an ordinary Sunday school teacher, who shared the gospel with a student, who passed it on, who passed it on, etc. and eventually it reached a boy named William. William was also known as Billy Graham. If Kimball had not shared then Billy Graham may have never come to know Christ and then how many hundreds of thousands of other people would have never heard the gospel either. By me passing up the opportunity to share my faith with someone I not only deny them the chance to know Christ but also anyone they would have eventually shared with and so on. And on top of that, all the laboring that the people who have invested in me and the people before them would be in vain if I were to be a "spiritual dead-end". Coming into the summer I had a very selfish view on the things I would take away; now I can see how much bigger of a picture that I am just a small part of.

Last weekend we had the Kaleo Relationships Conference! It was an opportunity to hear from the staff, and some pretty legit resources, about Christ-centered friendships, dating and marriage relationships. They talked about being content in singleness and how this is when I have the most time to focus on my relationship with God, the most important relationship I could have. They also separated the guys and girls. The girls got a talk about modesty and the guys got a talk about girls' emotions. It was a great couple of days and I feel like it will still take awhile for me to absorb all the information.

In the final week before the staff left, our group had the chance to get time with all but one of the staff members from KU. We had dinner with Stephan and Sarah Billings after the Relationships conference and got to talk to them a little more about what that looked like in their life. Then for D-Group night we had Claire Lewis over. She was so fun and energetic and had great insight. Then on Wednesday we had the other Claire over for desert and got to hear about her life and testimony and get some great advice from her. It was so cool to get the chance to spend time with them!

The past couple of Mondays, instead of doing Inductive training we've had a short workshop and then a time of Campus Prayer. This has for sure been one of my favorite parts. Last week we began praying specifically, by name, for everyone at the project this summer. We prayed for Alpha Chi and FarmHouse the first week, as well as a few of the residence halls based on where people are going to be living. Tonight we prayed for Alpha Delta Pi, ATO, Theta Xi, Kappa, and Sig Ep. It was so cool to know that over the next few weeks each and every person will get prayed for by name and to know that the rest of the project is behind them 100% when we get back to campus. Prayer is so powerful and I've really enjoyed learning more about it and seeing the impact it can make.

Last friday, we had another group date. We were told to dress like we would have in elementary school and to be ready at 6:30pm. We were a little confused. It turned out great, though! The guys did a great job planning it. They cooked us macaroni and corndogs (a classic elementary school meal) for dinner, along with fruit cups and juice boxes. Then we went to the 'Burbs and did some finger painting and played board games. It was a great night!

Sunday afternoon/evening we had a barbeque with everyone from the project. We had the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs. Then we got some games of soccer and ultimate frisbee going. Then once it was dark we headed down to the beach for some fireworks. It was a super show!

Well, it's getting pretty late and I've got work tomorrow (only 16 more days! wow!). Thanks for checking in! Until next time...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer Requests:
*Pray that Kaleo would not be just a 9-week summer program but that it would be a lifestyle
*Endurance- that we would not "coast" through the last few weeks but continue to be giving 100% in everything
*Boldness and opportunities- to share with others and to be courageous and confident about sharing

Halfway!?

Wow. It's hard to believe that I'm nearly halfway through my time here at Kaleo. The end of this week marks four and a half weeks here in Gulf Shores and four full weeks working at OTP. It's amazing how it seems like such a long time and so short all at once!

I apologize for the lack of updates. I feel like they are getting fewer and farther in between!

Last Thursday our StuMo night was focused on the topic of prayer. I am beginning to realize just how important prayer is, and I'm only starting to realized it because it was lacking in my life and now that I'm focusing on it more and putting it into practice more diligently the difference is incredible. Prayer is the other half of our communication cycle with God. He's given us his Word, the Bible, and praying is our way of talking back and really understanding what He says in his word. It was a great message and I loved just soaking it all in!

Friday we had a surprise social planned that turned out to be a picture scavenger hunt! It was a blast hanging out with the guys group we were paired with and getting some really goofy pictures to remember the adventure by! A few of my favorites included spelling out "Kaleo" with our bodies in front of McDonald's, singing to a stranger, and duck duck goose in the parking lot.

Saturday was beach evangelism. Our training in the morning focused on our testimonies, something that we hadn't really been focusing on yet. It was interesting to write out my testimony and realize that this is my way of making the gospel personal to someone. When they can see it transform someone's life it becomes more real and therefore more effective. Great learning experience.

Sunday we went to the college-aged Sunday school class at First Baptist... we basically WERE the Sunday school class. It will be interesting to see how that progresses, more details after more time there. Nicole, Kelsey and I were asked to work in the nursery during the service so I missed the speaker but the rest of the group filled us in as much as they could afterward.

Monday, instead of Inductive Training (since there are only three parts and we've already covered all of them) we had a workshop about holiness in the media. We looked at the reasons we should be careful what we let our minds take in and excuses that we use that keep us from living it out. The area that really hit me was music. When I put my iTunes on shuffle and just let it play am I hearing songs that are helping to keep my mind pure. There are the obvious offenders, like hip-hop and rap, but also the overlooked ones, like country. Stephen compared our minds to the airport security after 9/11, how it was so tight and everything was triple-checked to ensure safety. But what if there had been a side door that anyone could enter. This was so convicting. I think that music is the one that is hardest also to put into practice. I've been going through my iTunes library and I'm seeing all the money spent on these songs that are not helping to keep my mind and thoughts pure. Definitely challenging.

Tuesday we had our team leader, Kara, over for dinner and D-Group time. She is so wise and also extremely willing to share that wisdom with others. Then for World Prayer we learned about Buddhism. I never realized how many people believe in some form of buddhism without even consciously trying to. The example of karma? Yeah, we hear it all the time. It's a lot closer that I realized which makes it a lot more of a reality that there are people all around me who need the gospel.

Thanks for tuning in! Until next time...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer requests:
*The buddhists of the world- for God to be working in their hearts and for them to be open to hearing the gospel and also for laborers who are willing to take the gospel to them.
*Kandra- one of my coworkers, that I would have the opportunity and the courage to have an intentional conversation with her and begin to get to know her spiritual background
*time- there's not a whole lot left, that none of us would waste the time we do have here and we would be bold with our time and opportunities!

Thursdays are the best...

Hello! I'm getting ready to head out to go to TNT but I thought a quick update would be fun!

Monday's Inductive was over the Application part of the study. I really like how what we learn can be used so specifically and how the same verse can apply to 150 different people in 150 different ways!

Tuesday was our D-Group time. LOVE this time! We went over our 2 Timothy study and also the Pursuit of God chapter. Then we went to World Prayer. Our topic this week was Animism, and specifically the tribal people. It was cool to learn about their culture and beliefs and it wasn't at all what I expected. Typically, they do believe in one God but they believe in spirits and that the spirits are the ones that are in charge of everything. These people live in constant fear that they might anger the spirits and what they will have to do to restore the balance.

Wednesday we were asked to dinner by the team leader and staff guys. It was an early celebration for Kelsey's birthday! They cooked us dinner and we just got to spend time getting to know them. They all had so much insight and wisdom to share because they have all been to several summer projects before. It was great to have time to fellowship and just hear what advice they had. They were also pretty goofy so we had some good laughs! Then after dinner Liz, Shelby and I went to Vanesa's house. She's one of my coworkers at Old Time Pottery. We watched the Book of Eli (it was a GREAT movie, if you haven't seen it!) and got to hear a little more about her testimony and where she's at spiritually. She and her nephew are coming to TNT tonight and I'm so excited for them to experience a StuMo night!!!

It's time to go but I'll hopefully have more updates soon! Until next time...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer Requests:
*The tribal people who are still captive to the beliefs of Animism that people would have the courage to take the gospel to such remote and often dangerous places
*Old Time Pottery coworkers that we would be bold in sharing our faith there. I feel like the relationships with these people are at a point where I can do that and now it's just stepping up and being bold.

What a week

Hey guys! I know it's been quite awhile since there have been any new updates. Sorry about that. It was a jam-packed week last week.

D group weekend turned out so great. We ended up going to Destin. We hit up the outlet mall there on Saturday then went to a local seafood restaurant called The Back Porch. It was delicious! We tried a little bit of everything: shrimp, crab, mahi mahi, scallops, even oysters. The place was right on the beach so after dinner we walked up and down the beach and soaked it all in. There were some major storms that night so we headed back to the hotel to keep out of them. The next day we decided was going to be a beach day! We drove to the beach and met up with Nicole's aunt and uncle for lunch then walked out of the restaurant and right onto the beach. We decided that since we were on the beach that it was a great opportunity to share the gospel with a few people. We shared with a pair of girls who were about our age. They were really fun to talk to and I liked that even though we were on our "fun weekend" we didn't lose sight of the purpose for our summer. We hung out on the beach all day. The waves were enormous but that definitely didn't stop us from goofing off in the water for a little while! After a great day spent there we packed up and headed back to Gulf Shores. We got to hear a little bit about other groups' weekends which was really cool, too.

Monday we had inductive Bible study training. This week we focused on the interpretation part of it. This is for sure the part that I struggle with the most. It's just hard to know how to interpret things correctly and based on Scripture rather than coming to my own conclusions. I feel like after practicing and having a little more experience with it that it will come easier, though.

Tuesday was D-Group night. Our guest for dinner and our D-Group time was Tracy. I loved learning a little bit more about what it looks like being on staff and what goes on behind the scenes. It was also cool to have her share what she is learning and a little bit of her wisdom with us. I was the cook for the evening... so it was something very simple! English muffin pizzas. They turned out better than expected and we're planning on repeating those because they were so good! Then later we had our World Prayer meeting. This week we learned more about International Students. I had never really thought of the possibility of sharing the gospel with the world through the students that are right there at K-State. The students that come over here are some of the best and brightest of their respective countries and will potentially have leadership roles in their home countries someday. What a great way to reach the nations by sharing with them. Also, I learned the importance of building those relationships. We were told that only a very slim percentage actually have the experience that they were looking forward to here in America. Most of the students never even set foot in an American home. It definitely made me think about possible participating in one of the International Buddy programs next year at K-State. I know that if I was in a foreign country I would be very grateful for a buddy.

Wednesday night was a free night. There was a group of people down at the beach so a few of us decided to join them. It was dark by the time we got there and people were just starting to leave. We still wanted to hang around so some of the guys stayed with us so we wouldn't just be by ourselves. I saw my first bit of oil on the beach. It wasn't anything too exciting, about the size of quarter, but it was still oil. Yuck. We met a local guy who we ended up talking to for about 20 minutes. He did most of the talking though, and he seemed a little tipsy. It made me really glad that Boone and Daniel had stayed with us! Also, we got asked on our first group date that night! The group of guys made a HUGE card (complete with posterboard envelope even addressed to us) and wrote us a poem. It was pretty creative and really funny because we had seen that group buying the posterboard in WalMart on Monday night. Oops! They also had to wait for one of us to come to our room because they didn't know which room we were in. Hence, the card was slid under our door at 10:57pm, 3 minutes before curfew. So we just decided we would have to answer the next day.

Thursday was our StuMo night!!! These are for sure my favorite nights of the week. Kyle was the speaker for  this week. He talked about the importance of God's word and making it part of our everyday lives. He used the analogy of a flashlight. His flashlight (or MagLite to be more specific) could be used  with a focused beam or as a lamp that gave off a glow. This paralleled how the Word should be both used for focus and as a glow in our lives. He also made the comparison of the flashlight being on or off. Many people have flashlights but they aren't always turned on. He also talked a lot about expectations: the expectations that God has for us and the expectations that we have of God. It was a great message and really got us all thinking. After TNT we had a party in the 'Burbs for Jen's birthday and also a going away party for the athletes. They had to head back to Manhattan for training camps and such. It was sad to say goodbye but I'm glad that they got to stay as long as they did.

Friday I earned my first paycheck! It was nice to see the proof in front of me that my hard work is paying off. That night we went our our group date with Rogie, Kyle, Chase, David and Drew. It was a blast! They took us to the beach and we had a dessert of watermelon and strawberry shortcake. Then we played some water-balloon games and a little bit of sand volleyball. We played with three little kids that just walked up and jumped right into our game! It was pretty funny. After it got dark we went star-tripping. If you've never done it, you should try sometime! You make a circle and the person who is going stands in the middle. They find a star in the sky to focus on and then starts spinning in circles. After spinning for awhile the other people flash a light in the person's eyes. Not sure why (I'm sure there is some scientific reason behind this) but when the light is flashed in your eyes it makes you fall down, not a big deal when you're on sand though. Then the person is supposed to get up as fast as they can and run in a straight line... nearly impossible to do. Sounds cruel? Well, it's pretty fun to try and even funnier to watch. We headed over the picnic tables and sat around and talked. We talked about things we've been learning, surprises we've faced, and reasons we decided to come to Kaleo. It was great to get to know the guys and even learn some new things about the girls in my group. We played a get-to-know-you game just for fun and then headed back home. There was and intense game of kill ball going on in the parking lot that we jumped right in to. Curfew rolled around and we had to head to the rooms. All in all, super fun night!

Saturday was evangelism training. We looked at the parts of sharing the gospel and how if there isn't an opportunity for a response then all we're doing is sharing facts. The three parts are reality (that we all sin and need a Savior), the remedy (Jesus coming to earth and paying the price for our sins), and the response (Is receiving Christ a decision you would like to make?). Then we read a story about a dream that a wise theologian had about orange groves and how it illustrated the verse that says that "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few". It was a great picture and I really liked reading and discussing it. Then we all jumped in the cars and went to the beaches. The group I was in didn't really know where we were going, so when we hit the Florida state line we were pretty sure we'd gone too far. We decided that people on beaches in Florida should have the chance to hear the gospel too so we just winged it and made the best of our situation. I was paired with Kelsey and we got to share with quite a few people. My favorite part is definitely coming back together as a big group and hearing all of the cool stories that people have. We went swimming back at the hotel (mostly just to get all the sand off) and then we went with a big group to the Hangout to, well, hangout. They had a live band and we just danced and goofed off for awhile then headed back to the hotel.

Today we went to church at First Baptist again. We're still trying to figure out a way that we can serve the church. The message today was about forgiveness and it was really good. This afternoon I got caught up on some stuff that I hadn't gotten to earlier in the week and chilled all day. I'm so grateful for the time to recharge on Sundays.

Hopefully it won't be this long between updates again. Because that is a lot to read (not to mention type out!). So I'll try to be better about keeping things current! Until next time...


Sarah
XOXO

Prayer Requests:
*The International Buddies program at K-State that more students would want to get involved.
*Boldness to share with coworkers this week and invite them to TNT
*Discipline to get all the things I need to get done before I go do social stuff

D Group Weekend!!!

Hey guys!!!

I know it's been a few days since the last update... oops! Things have gotten pretty busy. It was my first full week of work and by today I was definitely feeling it. I'm getting more and more used to the full days and the busy night schedule that is Kaleo. 

This has been the first week where we've had all of our normal activities. On Monday night we had Inductive Bible Study training. We're studying the book of 2 Timothy this summer and I'm super stoked to go deeper in the Word and learn what God has to teach me from this book. On Tuesday we had our first D-Group night! Betsy Brownlee joined us for a delicious dinner of macaroni and hotdogs! Then we went over the book that we're reading this summer, "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer, and also over our 2 Timothy study. Later that night we had our World Prayer meeting. We learned about several different religions and people groups and also learned ways that we can specifically pray for them. We also learned a little bit about missions and sent out some special prayers for the team from KSU that's going to India in a few days! I know that God has amazing things planned for them over there and that if they are willing, he will use them to accomplish a lot! Wednesdays are our free nights during the week so I took the opportunity to catch up on some reading and also had a long talk with my dad, who I hadn't talked to since I left KC. It was great to talk to him and hear about what's going on at home.

Sean Vollendorf was our TNT speaker yesterday. His message was INCREDIBLE. The phrase that he kept repeating was: Meeting God is amazing, but knowing Him is indescribable; and getting to know Him is costly. It was a really convicting message. I was so excited to see that a lot of people had asked coworkers to come and check it out. There are a few from OTP that I think are wanting to come next week and see what we're all about! 

After work today, we just planned on packing up and rolling out to head to Pensacola, FL for our D-Group Weekend. Sadly, Kels isn't with us. She had a wedding that she is in this weekend so she flew out early this morning to go to that. We're planning on making a "Kelsey Cutout" and taking our D-Group pics with that so that she's still part of all the fun! Haha. Anyway, we were packing up and getting ready to go when we got a call from a group of guys who gave us the news that the owner of the laser tag arena down on the Wharf was wanting to shoot a commercial and he was looking for people to be in it playing laser tag. How could we pass us this incredible opportunity!? So we headed to the Wharf and played complimentary games of laser tag and bazooka ball. It was a blast!!! 

After laser tag, we loaded up the car and headed out to Pensacola. We got here at about 9 and promptly headed to Whataburger for a late night snack! Mmmmm. The woman at the reception desk here told us there really wasn't much to do here, especially since the oil slick had hit the beaches this past week. Sooooooo, we've recently (I'm talking in the last half hour, here) decided that tomorrow morning we'll continue on to Destin, FL and see what adventures we can find there! I'm so stoked to hang out with the girls and just use this time to really bond as a group. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds! Until next time...

Sarah

XOXO

Prayer requests:

*Strength- Things are really going to pick up here soon and I'm going to need to stay strong. 

*Relationships- That the relationships that I would form here would be honoring to God and would be ones that last

*Discipline- That I would be diligent and even enthusiastic about my daily assignment and the way that they are going to help me grow and develop my faith this summer. 

First weekend!

Hey guys!

So the weekend is winding down. It was jam-packed with stuff to do though! On Saturday morning we had a large group meeting to get us pumped and ready for beach evangelism. We looked at why what we're doing is important and also ran through some scenarios that might come up. I was, to put it lightly, terrified of walking up to people and talking to them. I was paired with my d-group leader, Sarah. We went down to the beach and just took a deep breath and jumped right into it. Most of the people we approached were really interested in what we had to say. Most of them were already believers but we got to talk to a few who weren't. It was interesting to hear people's feedback and just get to know them a little better. Definitely didn't turn out to be as intimidating as I expected.

Today we went to the church we were assigned. It's First Baptist Church of Gulf Shores. The service was great! They did a recognition of all the servicemen and women that were members in honor of Memorial Day. The sermon was really good, too. It was titled "I Choose to Stand". The pastor talked about how we should choose to stand a make a difference for Christ in the world around us. Pretty cool to hear because that's sort of why we're all here this summer! :) Until next time...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer requests:
*Strength at work- last week I only worked two days and I was exhausted, this is going to be a trying week
*Focus- We start Bible study and other stuff this week, pray that I would focus and get all that I can out of these times

Workin' girl!

Hey guys!

So I have a couple days of work under my belt. Ta-da! I'm great at unpacking boxes, straightening shelves, and taking orders. It's hard work, but I'm enjoying getting to know the people around me. My favorite person so far is Randy. We're gonna be tight, I can already tell. He's always willing to point me in the right direction, and give me a hard time about it later. Haha. Yesterday, I worked back in the receiving department on my feet for nine hours. It was a definite challenge. Today they had me out on the floor cleaning up and moving stuff around. Another long day.

StuMo last night was great as well! We got the 411 about how to make the most of our time here at Kaleo. Great speaker and I feel like I took a lot away from the message.

Tonight we had our first social. It was a mystery "group date". Each girls group got a theme that matched one that a guys group had gotten. Our theme? Hippies! Haha. So great. We got to hang out on the beach, eat tons of watermelon and meet new people. Kyle, Matt, Christian, and Dean were our hippie counterparts. They were a ton of fun! We played a game of volleyball with the plaid group. Then we took a bunch of pictures and played duck/duck/goose! Then they treated us to Sonic drinks, so sweet! We headed back to the 'Burbs, a room that the Staybridge has so graciously let us use for a hangout spot, where we can be loud and obnixious and not bother any of the other guests. We had a rockin' dance party (I don't know where energy for that come from!) and just chilled with the gang.

Now, I'm pooped. There's really no other way to describe it. So I'm peacin' out for the night. Tomorrow we get to do beach evangelism. That's the part I'm most excited for but also most anxious about. Until the next time...

Sarah
XOXO

Prayer requests:
*Beach evangelism- that God would give us courage and boldness and that people would be receptive

Day one and a half!

Hey all!

So we arrived here in GORGEOUS Gulf Shores, AL after two loooong days of driving and one heck of a rainstorm. It was definitely different than the I-70 drive from KC to Manhattan! :) Stephanie and Rachel made great car-mates!

Yesterday was mostly unpacking after arriving and a group meeting late last night. Basic stuff about staying here at the Staybridge Suites. The hotel is so nice!! My D-group shares a suite with a bedroom, small kitchen and living area. Lots of nooks and crannies for storage! Then last night we had an arrival luau out by the Gazebo. It was a great opportunity to unwind and meet a lot of the 120+ other students here in the project. We had bonding time in our room last night and my D-group has come up with a few goals and started our very own Kaleo Bucket List. We decided to take at least one D-group picture per day, but multiple ones are bound to happen!

Today we had a meeting that basically got us all pumped for what we're going to be doing here at Kaleo. We went over objectives and what our weeks are going to look like. I can't wait to jump right in, have new experiences, make new friends (and hopefully remember all their names), and get started at my job. My D-group went exploring and found an awesome local mexican restaraunt! We had more time to unpack and get settled. I got to put a few of my interior design skills to use to figure out where we were going to fit everything! There was the ever-needed WalMart run and then we headed to Lulu's for dinner. Lulu's is a family restaraunt and hangout place on the wharf, just a little ways up from the beach (which I still haven't seen yet!). The owner threw us a welcome dinner/party which was so great! Then the students who are going to be working there this summer got "initiated"! The food was amazing and I loved seeing everyone around me just getting to know each other and getting excited for this summer!

Tomorrow at 8am (yikes! that's earlier than any of my classes!) I go to Old Time Pottery. There are 4 other students working there with me. We're not sure if tomorrow will be paperwork, training, or actually working but I'll find out soon! Until next time...


Sarah
XOXO

Prayer requests:
*Students that don't have jobs lined up yet.
*That all of us would keep focused and disciplined
*That God would prepare our hearts and the hearts of the people around us to accomplish His work here in Gulf Shores

Only a couple weeks...

Hey all! I decided to create this blog to keep everybody updated on my summer, Kaleo, and what God is doing in my life!

I'm so pumped to get to Gulf Shores! Only 12 more days until we roll out from KC! It seems like such a long wait but so short at the same time. Wow.

I found out my D Group leader yesterday! I'm in Sarah Snell's group. I got to meet her for the first time at a volleyball study break last night. She is so excited and really sweet. Kelsey Ayers and Nicole Wilbert (sorry if I spelled that wrong!) are also going to be in our group.

Still no word about the job. I applied at Old Time Pottery and sent in an application but I haven't heard back. Keep praying for the situation. I know God has it under control, I just wish I knew too.

Thanks for checking in!