Thank you. Thank you to all my supporters who allowed me to follow God's prompting and take part in a summer full of the Lord. Coming into project I heard this will be the summer that changes your life and a time when you build lasting friendships and a lasting intimate relationship with the Lord. Well folks, that is exactly what it is. And it has only been two weeks. My friends, I am at a loss for words right now. The Holy Spirit is real and fills us to the full. Throughout this last week, all of you have crossed my mind and I so desperately wished we all could be here, hearing the Lord and experiencing all He is doing and wants in each of our lives! Guys He loves you! He wants us to surrender our whole lives to his majesty and TRUST him! Trust him with all you have. I all too often and easily forget how mighty our God is.

Let me forewarn that I do not know how to accurately articulate everything that has gone in within the last week so these will be thoughts and highlights -

Last night we went out on our second outreach opportunity. We divided into small groups of 3 and literally went out to the streets in Santa Cruz. My group's first conversation was with a community of homeless. Guys, I have heard about the "unique" people in Santa Cruz, and said to myself " O this is like Austin. I have heard about this. Nothing new." Well, after 2 hours last night it was as if these ideas of people choosing to be homeless, believing that our parents can be our oppressors, being angry with God, wanting to be "free" and one with the universe, etc.. became a reality finally. And I was hurt. I was hurt to know that these are not just ideas and practices people talk about but are a harsh reality that people somehow buy into. Guys people are lost. Jesus is needed so much! And this is what the Lord has called us to do, go out spread the Word.

This morning at church a missionary gave the sermon and it was really convicting and inspiring. His main point was that Jesus uses the "least of these". As the body of Christ we need to lower the bar and learn from the Word that God uses those we might least expect and is capable of transforming the hearts of the homeless hippies I encountered last night. My heart can break for them but my heart can rejoice because our Lord saves! Jesus uses those including the homeless hippies for his ministry. How awesome is that?! He can transform their hearts and bring them to him! Don't get me wrong, it is not that I had never heard these ideas before. But the Lord is bringing these truths down from my head and moving them into my heart. There is such joy in that and love! I desire to love the Lord with my heart, not just my mind. Despite growing up in the Church, I still felt I was missing an indescribable burning love for our Savior. And that is because God's word is more in my head than my heart. God is pulling me in though!

We just got back from girls night and let me tell you that to start of the night the boys came out of one of the rooms in a single file line singing my girl and each boy had a rose. After singing to each of us they escorted us to our cars! How precious is that?! So while we had girl's night, the boys had man time (haha). Girls talked about how loved and precious we are in God's eyes and how he wiped away everything. We struggle but we are not alone. We are precious in His sight and meant to be loved intimately by our Lord. Only He can fill any of the holes in us, whether that be attention from boys, love, weight, acceptance, or whatever. Only the Lord fills us and that my friends is something to sing praises for!

Anywho, I challenge all you lovely readers to dive into the word this week and learn about the awesome God we serve. Stop trying on your own. Surrender.