End of Month 1

WOW!!! I can’t believe I’ve been living in Montana for a month! It’s so hard to believe because it’s been going so fast! I thought I’d update you all on how things are going here in Big Sky Country!

It‘s so hard to figure out where to begin!!😂

Our weekly schedule looks like this normally, not including minor changes or days off....

Sunday

(11am-12pm is church at Missoula Alliance Church, off the rest of the day)

Monday

(9:30am-12pm planning and training with our leaders, 1-3pm ministry prep for the week, 6-9:30pm Young Life .... I’ll explain what Young Life is later)

Tuesday

(9:30am prayer walk on campus, 11am-12pm team meeting, 1-3pm is discipleship time with our leaders)

Wednesday

(Half day with God, 10am-12pm is set aside if we want to meet with a high school student, 2-3pm is meeting up with a leader from Young Life, 6:30-9:30pm is Cru’s weekly meeting)

Thursday

(10-11am is time set aside to meet with a high school student if we choose, 11am-12pm is discipleship with our leaders, 1-4:30pm ministry training, 6–7:30pm Campus Bible study)

Friday

(10am-1pm review and celebrate the week, off the rest of the day)

Saturday

(off day...unless otherwise noted or we schedule something with a high school or college student)

That is what a typical week looks like for us. We have the opportunity this week Tuesday to hike at Glacier National Park! Our gap team director was able to come in for a week and spend it with us! It’s going to be an incredible week with her!

Let me explain what Young Life is (which happens on Monday nights).

Young Life is an organization that reaches high school students and shows them the love of God. It is like a church youth group but separate from any church. It’s one night a week where we can interact and show high school students that we care about them and so does God. We talk, play games, sing songs (both worship and regular songs), and have a talk from our leader from God’s word.

It has been great to try and include high school students outside of Young Life! I know just reaching out to them means a lot!

We definitely have been including and reaching out to different college students that come to Cru’s weekly meeting. Just getting together and inviting them into our group makes them feel included and worthwhile. I actually had the chance to invite some people from UM (University of Montana) that were interested in being involved in Cru events.

Last week Sunday, we had the opportunity to serve Congolese people food at one of their picnics! It was great seeing a whole other culture sing, greet, and dress their way! Serving them was an amazing gift! Just the thought that we could be spreading God’s love to others in serving food, leading a little Congolese boy back to his parents, or interacting and learning from their culture means a lot to me! There are some spots open to tutor some Congolese kids! We are all so ready and eager to interact!

Other than that, we have a Bible study early in the morning on Monday’s with a mom who’s on staff with Cru. We have gone star gazing at 4am! It was incredibly worth getting up for though!

It’s been really hard for me to see God’s love. I feel like I’m talking to a blank wall. I was upset with Him and doubted His goodness and love for me. It was when I was listening to “Jesus Paid it All” and reading Isaiah and some Psalms, that I realized once again that God loved me so much! I just needed to look at the cross. It tells us of the Father’s love for us that He would send His one and only Son to die for our sins so we could have life. I realized in that moment how undeserving I was of His love, but through all my pain, mistakes, and flaws He still loves me. That made me burst into tears realizing that through my mistake after mistake, doubt after doubt, and lie after lie I believe, He can’t help but love me still with His unfailing, never-ending love. Just that His word says that He is near to the broken-hearted, and that He will never leave me or forsake me made me see how desperately I need His love and truth spoken into my life to fight the lies and mend this fragile heart. I still struggle with all of this. It’s a constant battle. Through all this, I’ve come to realize that I don’t know God very well, but it is never too late to get to know Him more! I desperately want Him to be my all in all, to fill this dry cup, and make joy flow like springs of water again. That would be great if you all could pray for that! Kevin Young (who works at Cru) said Jesus wants us to come away with Him. He’s at a table wanting to spend time with just us. I know that I blow Him off because I don’t have time or I make excuses not to spend time with Him. That is what our loving Father wants, some one on one time with us. He understands our pain, our hurt, our tears. I love the verse that says, “Jesus wept.” He feels and knows what we are going through. He promises to never leave us or forsake us. He may feel far, but He is near. He is knocking, waiting for us to spend time with Him so that He can refresh us and continually show us his truth, love, and promises.

“Oh come to the altar. The Father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ!”

Thank you all for reading this really long blog post!😂 I hope it has given you a little feel of what we are doing, encouraged you, and shown you how much God loves you!! I wouldn’t be here today without the support and prayers of you all! Thank you!

Team picture

Ira, Dani, Me, and Esther

Selfie😂

Cru’s weekly meeting tent on campus

Reflections on the river

Nature pictures❤️

I‘d also love to point out that being on this team with these incredible young men and women has been an honor! We are learning better how to communicate with one another and be ourselves. We have had some super vulnerable moments and then moments that felt very isolated. It’s a learning process, but at least we get to do it hand in hand! I do miss home, but I’m so glad I‘m not alone in this. I have an amazing team behind me! I love them so much! I love the way we are unique yet bond so deeply!

Dani....Wow!! She is so gentle and calm in the way she speaks and with her heart towards others. She just radiates so much love and joy! It makes others comfortable and draws them in. It is a beautiful quality to see.

Sully....He is the best cook on the team by far and could make something out of minimum ingredients!! He cares deeply and encourages in his own way with his big heart! I almost feel like I’m home with my brothers when I’m around him! It is wonderful!

Ira....It’s been really nice hearing her pray and sing in Russian. Anything she does cracks all of us up!! We definitely all need that! Though she is amazing to laugh with, she is so sweet and will come up to us if we are sad or need a hug! Just the fact that she loves on us by leaning her head on us and hugging us means a lot!

Esther....She binds the team together so well! There is this selfless, Christ-like love that she pours out on others that makes her want to sacrifice for all of us. She loves finding the beauty in everyone else’s hearts! I admire and cherish her so much!

Gabriel....He has a deep longing to be there for us all when we are hurting. He is a bold leader that is willing to initiate! His heart empathizes well.